Former Los Angeles County sheriff's custodian Tommy Ray Trimble has been slapped with charges for allegedly tampering with evidence after his DUI arrest last year. Trimble is facing one felony count each of second-degree commercial burglary, preparing false evidence, and destroying government records, along with a misdemeanor count for destroying evidence. If the courts find him guilty, he could be looking at up to three years behind bars, something Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman did not take lightly when announcing the charges. "We entrust our public officials and law enforcement officers to uphold the law, not to break it," Hochman stated, as reported by the DA's office.
The case, filed under number 25DWCF01150, is scheduled for Trimble's arraignment tomorrow at the Downey Courthouse. This announcement comes after an incident that dates back to July 7, 2024, when Trimble, employed as an evidence and property custodian, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence on the 91 Freeway in Compton. It was during the follow-up that a criminalist at the sheriff's crime laboratory in Downey, where Trimble worked, noticed his blood sample, taken as part of the investigation, appeared damaged.
Prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Juree Kim of the Justice System Integrity Division, the case reveals that Trimble is accused of breaching a secured vault at the crime lab to retrieve and then heat his blood sample in a microwave, ostensibly to skew the results of his DUI blood test. "This wasn't a mistake. This was a concerted effort to flout the law to escape justice," Hochman said, emphasizing the gravity of the allegation. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau is still digging into the matter.
While charges have, in fact, been filed against Trimble, it's essential to remember in the eyes of the law, he remains presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Details of the case continue to unfold as the prosecution prepares for the impending arraignment.
