LAUSD Officer Indicted in “Shooting Hoax”

A little over a month ago, we brought you the story of a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) cop who decided to tell people that a burglar had shot him in the line of duty back in January.

He was later charged with lying about the whole thing.

According to the Los Angeles Times and the L.A. County District Attorney’s office, Jeff Stenroos, who is currently on paid administrative leave from the district, was arraigned last Friday after a grand jury indictment alleged that he planted evidence.

Stenroos pled not guilty in the presence of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg to the indictment, which replaces the existing charges and avoids the need for a preliminary hearing.

The indictment includes two new allegations of insurance fraud and planting evidence but does not include a prior charge of perjury.

The indictment charges Stenroos with five felony counts, one each of insurance fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, preparing a false police report, preparing false documentary evidence and planting false evidence. It also contains one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting an emergency.

Paul Nunez, the Deputy District Attorney, told Schnegg that the city is seeking $361,289 in compensation, and LAUSD is seeking $58,000 in medical costs. Prosecutors note that the district is still compiling full restitution costs for the students that were kept in lock down at eight campuses for up to 10 hours over the manhunt that ensued for the “burglar.”

Back on January 19^th was when the alleged shooting took place; while Stenroos was on duty at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills. A good Samaritan reportedly called for help after spotting Stenroos lying on the ground near his open car door.

Stenroos allegedly told fellow officers a car-burglary suspect shot him once in the chest as he was patrolling the campus perimeter. More than 550 law enforcement officers throughout Southern California responded and conducted a 10-hour search, shutting down an 8-square-mile area in the Valley.

A district attorney’s spokeswoman, Jane Robison, stated that Stenroos is charged with insurance fraud for seeking medical treatment for injuries he never sustained. He went to Northridge Medical Center the day of the alleged hoax for treatment and was released.

The following weekend, Stenroos checked himself in to Henry Mayo Hospital in Santa Clarita for ongoing complaints of pain, she added. An LAPD investigation determined there was no shooting at the school as Stenroos first described and that he allegedly created false evidence when he claimed he was shot.

Bail was set at $50,000 and Stenroos is scheduled to return to Van Nuys Superior Court on May 18^th for pretrial. If convicted, he faces up to five years and eight months in state prison.