An LAPD officer was arrested after allegedly trying to meet someone he believed was a 16-year-old girl, then released hours later without any charges filed. Leonardo Arturo Ruiz, identified as an LAPD officer, was taken into custody following the confrontation in the Los Angeles area, and the investigation into his conduct continues even as he walks free.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, a member of the group YN_Vs_Preds who goes by Ashton said he posed as a 16-year-old girl and communicated with Ruiz for three days before arranging to meet him in person. YN_Vs_Preds says it targets people suspected of trying to meet minors, and Ashton told the station their exchange started innocuously, with a discussion about their day before Ruiz asked to hang out. Ashton said he did not initially realize he was talking to a police officer, and that Ruiz kept implying what he wanted to do as the conversation went on.
Confrontation at the Meeting Spot
Ashton said Ruiz eventually asked whether he should bring condoms, then arrived at the agreed meeting location expecting to find a teenage girl. Instead, he encountered Ashton and other members of the group. YN_Vs_Preds members allege that Ruiz tried to run when he realized what was happening, and that they chased and held him until Monrovia police arrived at the scene.
Jail records reportedly show Ruiz was released hours after his arrest without charges, the station's report notes. Ruiz has not been charged, and the allegations against him have not been proven.
A Retired Detective Weighs In
Moses Castillo, a retired LAPD detective, described the allegations against Ruiz as very serious. Castillo said Ruiz's release without charges does not necessarily mean the investigation is over, noting that no charges were filed pending further investigation. He said the LAPD could investigate the matter both administratively and criminally to determine whether department policies were violated and whether charges are ultimately warranted.
The LAPD said it is fully cooperating with the investigation, though the department has not publicly stated whether Ruiz remains on duty. Prosecutors may still file charges after investigators review the circumstances of the arrest and the allegations against him, per the same account.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Stings
Civilian-led confrontations like the one involving YN_Vs_Preds have become more common nationwide, though they raise their own evidentiary and safety concerns. Prosecutors in one recent case made clear that private groups uncovering suspects doesn't automatically derail a case, with one official saying, “We do not decline prosecution simply because the predator was discovered by a private group,” according to The Modesto Bee. That same report noted that online personality JiDion estimated his team had carried out nearly 100 similar encounters nationwide this year alone.
Other cases around the country show how these confrontations can play out differently when law enforcement runs the sting instead of a civilian group. In Ohio, Cleveland police officer Jourdan Hernandez was arrested after allegedly communicating with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old, and was charged with two counts of importuning and one count of possessing criminal tools, according to Cleveland 19 News. In Oregon, a Springfield man was arrested after police said he tried to meet someone he believed was a 15-year-old for sex, though the person turned out to be an undercover officer, per KEZI.
Closer to home in California, an Anthony Wyatt of Turlock was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of two felony offenses after an investigation into online communications with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl, the Modesto Bee reported. And in San Luis Obispo County, Genaro SantanaAvalos was convicted after messaging a teenage girl online and going to meet her in a park for sex, only to find an adult Sheriff's Office detective posing as the decoy, according to The Tribune.
For now, Ruiz's case remains unresolved. No charges have been filed, the LAPD has not disclosed his duty status, and the allegations against him remain unproven as the investigation moves forward.
