LAPD officer charged with molesting two girls at his home
Prosecutors have filed charges against a veteran Los Angeles police officer who allegedly lured two young girls to his Castaic-area home and molested them.
Miguel Angel Schiappapietra Jr., 28, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years of age.
His attorney, David D. Diamond, said he was still in the process of reviewing the allegations but added, “The only thing worse than lewd acts against a minor is being falsely accused of lewd acts against a minor.”
Schiappapietra was arrested Saturday morning after the girls, ages 5 and 8, told detectives the officer sexually molested them.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials confirmed the Saturday arrest but would not elaborate on the nature of the crimes or what, if any, relationship the officer has to the victims.
Schiappapietra, a six-year department veteran assigned to the Foothill Division, was off-duty at the time of his arrest. The case is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit.
He was booked into the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s station and held in lieu of $200,000.
Schiappapietra is now on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal LAPD review, as well as the ongoing criminal investigation.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled May 30.
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