A 38-year-old police officer is facing the possibility of four years in state prison after investigators alleged that he stole cash from motorists during traffic stops, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Jose Antonio Garcia, a resident of Long Beach, who worked for the West Covina Police Department reportedly took $1,000 over the course of three traffic stops between Sept. 2024 and Feb. 2025, according to a news release from the L.A. County DA’s Office.
In one instance, the officer searched the victim’s vehicle and allegedly stole approximately $600 in cash from their wallet before then arresting the motorist. A month later, Garcia is accused of taking $100 in cash from a passenger’s backpack and letting the occupants off with a verbal warning.
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In a third traffic stop in early 2025, Garcia reportedly stole $300 in cash stashed inside the vehicle’s center console before releasing that victim off with a verbal warning…