Mentone Burglary Suspect is LA Police Sergeant

A Los Angeles Police Department sergeant has been arrested on suspcion that he burglarized a Mentone home Sunday.

His plan went awry and ended in his arrest after the resident interrupted the burglary and doused him with pepper spray, said San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials said.

Lucien Daigle, 44, of Highland, a sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department, has been booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of burglary. He is being held on $125,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

The break-in was reported in the 8900 block of Tres Lagos Drive in Mentone about 6:20 p.m. Sunday, according to a Sheriff’s news release. The home's resident had taken her dogs for a walk.

When she returned, she told deputies that she found her backdoor open and a man inside her home.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Morrison told the Riverside Press-Enterprise the woman used an entire can of bear repellant, a pepper spray that is roughly five times stronger than what is normally used by law enforcement.

The suspect quickly ran out and jumped into a car parked in front of the house.

Within minutes of responding to the break-in, officials said they received a report of a crash at Greenspot and Santa Ana Truck roads, about 1.5 miles from the Iron Bridge.

As deputies were approaching the vehicle, they said they detected a strong odor of pepper spray. The driver was identified as Daigle. He had suffered minor injuries and was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center. Deputies arrested him at the hospital.

Officials said that a search of Daigle’s vehicle turned up several items that belonged to the burglary victim.

San Bernardino authorities found out about Daigle's law enforcement during the booking process in jail.

"After we made contact with the subject, we were made aware of his work with the Los Angeles Police Department," said San Bernardino County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller. "When they're taken in for booking, there's a full application that is part of the process."

The LAPD is also looking into the arrest.

"Immediately upon being informed of the arrest the (LAPD) did respond and releived him of duty and assigned to home," said Officer Karen Rayner,
a public information officer with the LAPD.

His most recent assignment was with the department's Olympic area, Rayner said.

The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an internal investigation into the matter, a spokesman with that department said. He has been placed on paid administrative leave.