Exam Finds Traces of LSD in Teen Fatally Shot by L.A. Officer

Felix Valenzuela Jr., the bloody, naked 16-year-old boy fatally shot by an LAPD officer in Pacoima in November, had traces of the hallucinogenic drug LSD in his body at the time of his death, authorities said Tuesday.

Although a formal coroner’s report on Valenzuela’s death is not yet complete, the results from the toxicology examination “would be consistent with his erratic behavior on that evening, as described by officers and witnesses at the scene,” said Cmdr. David Kalish, spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

But the findings did not allay the anger of Valenzuela’s family, which has filed a claim against the city of Los Angeles for unspecified money damages over his death.

“My brother was naked. He could’ve been on anything, it doesn’t matter. They shouldn’t have killed him,” said Jose Valenzuela, an 18-year-old private in the U.S. Marine Corps. “My brother was shot wrongfully. He was wrongfully killed.”

According to a police statement released shortly after the incident, Felix Valenzuela Jr. was naked, covered with blood and “acting in a bizarre manner” in the nearly deserted intersection of San Fernando Road and Van Nuys Boulevard when two officers arrived at 4:26 a.m. on Nov. 20.

Valenzuela allegedly fixated on Officer Karen Thiffault, screamed unintelligibly and charged at her, according to the statement.

As Thiffault tried to get away, Valenzuela “repeatedly reached for and on at least one occasion grabbed” her holstered service revolver, the statement said. Believing that the suspect was under the influence of PCP and fearing for her life, Thiffault shot three rounds at Valenzuela, according to authorities.

A toxicology test during the autopsy detected 1.2 nanograms per milliliter of LSD in Valenzuela’s bloodstream, according to the coroner’s office. No traces of other drugs were found.

“In the toxicology world, it’s very minute,” said Dan Anderson, supervisor of the coroner’s toxicology lab, on the level of LSD found.

“But [LSD] is a ‘minute’ drug--very little can do a whole lot to you,” Anderson said. “The drug is a hallucinogen and it can make you act bizarre.”

According to the claim filed by the teenager’s mother, Manuela Valenzuela, LAPD officers confronted her son even though they knew about his “mentally unstable condition and of his inability to understand the significance of his actions.”

LAPD officials declined to comment on the claim, citing the pending litigation. The shooting is being investigated by the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

The claim alleged that the shooting of Felix Valenzuela Jr. resulted from “flawed and negligent tactics” by the officers at the scene and the “flawed, inadequate and substandard training provided by the LAPD to its officers regarding the handling of persons who are mentally ill, unstable or under the influence of drugs.”

Alleging that representatives of the city had acted with malice, the claim sought compensation for “the loss of love, society, comfort, services and support” of Felix Valenzuela Jr. It also asked for punitive or exemplary damages.

“Money-wise, [the claim] doesn’t matter. It won’t bring him back,” said Jose Valenzuela. But, he added, “Maybe this will get the city to recognize it as a problem, to prevent it from happening to someone else.”