LAPD Opens Investigation Into Charlie Sheen

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles police confirmed Wednesday they have opened a criminal investigation into actor Charlie Sheen.

Police would not provide details of the probe or confirm reports that it focuses on his former fiancee, Scottine Ross.

LAPD Officer Mike Lopez said the department's Van Nuys division took a threat report involving Sheen last Thursday, and "threat management" detectives were handling the case.

Lopez said investigators obtained a search warrant, but he declined to identify the alleged victim and has no additional information about the case.

Lopez did not specify where the warrant was served, but the website RadarOnline.com reported its senior editors in New York were served with a warrant by the LAPD on Tuesday. The warrant stemmed from recent articles about an alleged audio tape in which the former "Two and a Half Men" star admits he lied to a sex partner about being HIV-positive, according to Radar, which reported that the warrant names Ross, also known as Brett Rossi, as the alleged victim.

Ross sued Sheen in December, alleging he never told her he was HIV positive during their relationship. Sheen's attorneys countered that Ross was aware of the actor's HIV, but insisted on having unprotected sex with him anyway, noting that as a former porn star, Ross "has had hundreds, if not thousands, of sexual partners," and routinely exposed herself to potential sexually transmitted diseases.

The lawsuit is now in arbitration.

Radar and other media outlets reported recently that Ross went to police in Van Nuys last week about alleged threats made by Sheen, and that Ross was granted an emergency protection order.

Sheen's attorney, Marty Singer, issued a statement late last week calling the move "a publicity stunt," adding that the order "was obtained without notice to Charlie Sheen or his attorney. I believe it is the first time
someone obtained an order based on a story in a tabloid."

According to Radar, the warrant served on its editors outlines the allegations Ross made against Sheen, who claimed "she endured domestic violence, physical assaults and death threats" during their 2013-14 relationship.

The warrant states that Sheen brandished firearms at her and threatened her life, but she didn't immediately report the threats because she feared for her life, Radar reported.

"Ross stated she witnessed Sheen in fits of rage and violent outbursts on numerous occasions," the warrant reads, according to Radar. "Ross stated that she witnessed Sheen threatened to kill his former wife Denise Richards and their children's lives. Ross stated that Sheen made threats to `put a hit on her former boyfriend,' which Ross understood to mean Sheen wanted to hire someone to kill her former boyfriend."

Ross also alleged to police that Sheen did not tell her he was HIV-positive and was being treated during their relationship, Radar reported, citing the warrant.

"Ross further stated that Sheen had unprotected sex with her while infected with HIV and Sheen did not disclose that he was HIV positive to her prior to engaging in sexual intercourse," the warrant states, according to Radar.

The warrant also details Ross' fear over recent reports by Radar and the National Enquirer about an alleged audiotape, on which Sheen allegedly states that Ross needs to be "buried" and says he would rather pay someone $20,000 to have her killed, according to Radar.

The warrant seeks a police search of RadarOnline and National Enquirer offices for "all recordings to include audio, video, electronic communication, digital and electronic data pertaining to the articles" about Sheen, as well as "all transcripts of the records."

According to Radar, the company's attorneys have not yet responded to the warrant.

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