Inglewood Sergeant Arrested

An Inglewood police sergeant faces possible criminal charges for allegedly shoplifting about $100 worth of computer equipment from a Manhattan Beach electronics store, officials said.

Robert Hoffman, head of the Inglewood department’s forensics division, was arrested Saturday when a security officer at Fry’s Electronics spotted Hoffman putting $16 worth of printer labels in his coat pocket and adjusting “something under his coat, near the small of his back,” according to a Manhattan Beach police report. The object was a $90 computer part, the report said.

When Hoffman left the store without paying for the items, the store security officer placed him under arrest, according to the report. Because the crime is a petty theft, Hoffman was booked and released, said Manhattan Beach Police Sgt. Randy Leaf.

The case will be sent to the district attorney’s office, Leaf said. Initially, Hoffman gave a fake name to store security officers and Manhattan Beach police officials, but Inglewood Police Chief Oliver M. Thompson said a former Inglewood officer now in Manhattan Beach identified Hoffman.

Hoffman, a 16-year veteran of the Inglewood department, has been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation is conducted, Thompson said. Hoffman could not be reached for comment.