California MP, reported to have been killed by sniper, is fired

A sheriff's deputy from Southern California who allegedly was shot dead by a sniper in front of his workplace was fired, officials said Wednesday.

"The labor legislation limits what I can say about the staff, but what I'm going to tell you is that I've taken quick administrative action on this." Since last night, the MP Angel Reinosa is no longer employed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department or Los Angeles County, "Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday at a news conference.

The sheriff lamented the regret he had previously expressed in a written statement made public Saturday night, and apologized to the residents of Lancaster, where Reinosa claimed he had been shot in front of the sheriff's post.

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He estimated that the massive deployment of resources sent by several law enforcement agencies in search of the ghost shooter cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars".

"I am disappointed that this incident occurred and thwarted by the actions of a member that had a negative impact on a department that has a history of service and heroism," Villanueva said.

ABC News' attempts to reach Reinosa were unsuccessful.

Reinosa, a 21-year-old probation assistant, sparked widespread panic and a large-scale response from law enforcement on August 21 when he radioed with an emergency dispatcher and said he had been hit by shots fired by sniper fire in a Lancaster car park. Sheriff's post. He showed the investigators his damaged bulletproof vest, which he said saved his life, officials said.

Reinosa allegedly claimed that the blow that had hit him in the shoulder of his bullet-proof vest just as he was preparing to remove it came from a building of The government subsidized apartments located opposite the station, prompting SWAT teams to sweep the complex and clean the residents a futile search for the shooter, officials said.

But in a stunning turn of events, officials said Saturday that Reinosa would have confessed to having made the attack by a sniper and would have punched a hole in his bulletproof vest to reinforce his hoax.

Villanueva said that when he was informed of the shooting, he immediately went to Lancaster and visited Reinosa at the hospital to check his well-being.

"There was no obvious bullet wound, it had what appeared to be a bruise on his shoulder, it was red, but it was partially covered with a bandage," Villanueva said.

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The sheriff said that he had left this hospital and had gone to a command post tasked with overseeing the sniper's hunt until the next morning.

"While the tactical situation was becoming a level of investigation, I had concerns about what was reported to me.However, I did not want to intervene to preserve the integrity of the I & # 39; investigation, "said Villanueva.

He said that within 72 hours of Reinosa's gunshot report, the investigators conducted interviews, gathered evidence and conducted forensic tests.

"Saturday night, it was obvious that the shooting was a hoax," Villanueva said.

He stated that he immediately ordered the leader of his homicide division to hold a press conference at 11 pm Saturday to inform the public that the MP had invented sniper fire.

"I have often said that transparency is essential for public trust," he said. "I also stated that my priority was community service and that I would not defend any member of my department who would violate public trust."

He added that a criminal investigation and a staff investigation were ongoing.

"We intend to present our evidence to the District Attorney's Office to review the filing issues in the very near future," Villanueva said.

As for why Reinosa might have concocted the story, Villanueva said, "I can not speculate on why he did what he did."

"What I would say to him is that he made a decision that will change his life and unfortunately he has to live with it," Villanueva said.

The allegedly bogus incident occurred a week after six Philadelphia police officers were injured when a man threw a burst of fire from the second floor of a building, sending a wave of shock across the country while the suspect was running for hours on TV.

Villanueva also noted that this incident followed a series of shootings targeting law enforcement officials across the country.

The Association of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs also issued a statement earlier this week condemning "the strongest possible terms" the alleged hoax of one of their union members and apologizing for the "pressure" unnecessary "imposed on the local community during the A manhunt throughout the city including the sheriff's department deploying a helicopter with police snipers patrolling the heavens.

"Not only does this discredit the department and our deputy ministers, but it also jeopardizes the trust and good faith we ask the public and elected officials," reads the union's statement. "What is worse is a slap for the deputies who have been slaughtered in the performance of their tasks, as well as for the families of those who have paid the ultimate price for their services."