Watch CBS News

Former Huntington Beach Police Investigator Charged With Stealing Drugs

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) — A former investigator with the Huntington Beach Police Department has been charged with stealing drugs from the car of an attempted murder suspect, then driving a squad car while under the influence, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Sean Patrick Lotts, 53, of Huntington Beach, was on the job as a crime scene photographer for the Huntington Beach Police Department on January 23 when he allegedly grabbed the designer drug, consumed it, and drove home in a police car, according to Kimberly Edds, a public information officer with the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Lotts resigned from the department, Edds added.

Lotts was charged last week with one count each of embezzlement by a public official, seizing property under the color of authority, and driving under the influence, all misdemeanors.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on April 7 in the courthouse in Westminster. If convicted, he would face up to two years in jail.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.