82-year-old Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca discovered in ‘good health’
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, 82, is safe and recovering Monday morning after walking away from his San Marino home, authorities confirmed to affiliate KTLA.
LASD’s Special Enforcement Bureau said they offered local police needed resources and support in locating Baca, whose family was concerned for his safety after reporting him missing Sunday.
The 82-year-old former L.A. sheriff was wearing a medical bracelet which helped officials eventually find him and identify him, San Marino Police Chief John Incontro said.
“He was found in good condition … and he’s been reunited with his family and resting comfortably,” Incontro said.
Baca, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, served a three-year federal prison sentence after being convicted in 2017 of obstruction of justice.
He resigned amid the corruption scandal in 2014 and was convicted of lying to the FBI and trying to thwart the agency’s investigation into corruption in the nation’s largest jail system.
Agents had been secretly looking into allegations of bribery and inmate beatings by jail guards in 2011 when Baca and his top lieutenants learned that an inmate was acting as an FBI informant.
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Baca and top brass hatched an elaborate plot to hide the informant in the jail system by booking him under false names and moving him to different locations. They also tried to intimidate an FBI agent by threatening to arrest her.
Baca and his chief deputy, Paul Tanaka, were both convicted. Tanaka was sentenced to five years in prison.
Officials with LASD told KTLA that it is unclear what time the 82-year-old was reported missing and there was also no immediate word on what time he was located.