"Bell found the Apple tracking device under her friend's car while on a weekend getaway in Palm Springs in 2023. The friend suspected her former domestic partner, Alfred "Al" Labrada, who was then an assistant chief in the Los Angeles Police Department, had secretly planted the AirTag to monitor her movements after they broke up. The women contacted San Bernardino County authorities, who opened an investigation."
"By the time Bell, 44, testified last year, prosecutors had declined to charge Labrada with any crime, but his ascent through the uppermost ranks of the LAPD had already gone sideways. Once considered a leading candidate to become the city's next police chief, Labrada faced being fired for allegedly lying to LAPD investigators and trying to cover up his actions."
"Disciplinary proceedings against LAPD officers play out like mini-trials, held behind closed doors under state laws that shield the privacy of officers. According to her attorney, Bell figured that her role would be limited to describing the AirTag she found - and that anything she said would remain sealed. Instead, according to her lawyer, she faced a line of questioning that turned personal, with Labrada's attorney grilling her about problems in her former marriage."
Sgt. Jessica Bell discovered an Apple AirTag under a friend's car during a Palm Springs weekend in 2023. The friend suspected Alfred "Al" Labrada, then an LAPD assistant chief, of secretly planting the device to track movements after a breakup. San Bernardino County authorities opened an investigation and prosecutors declined to charge Labrada. Closed-door disciplinary hearings proceeded under state privacy protections. Bell expected to give limited, sealed testimony about the device but was questioned about personal marital matters. A disciplinary panel found Labrada guilty of planting the tracker and he resigned. Bell filed a lawsuit alleging her confidential testimony spread and prompted retaliation.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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