Ex-CHP officer gets 2 years for fixing ticket for sex

A former California Highway Patrol officer was sentenced Friday to two years in prison for fixing a traffic ticket for a woman who agreed to have sex with him.

Abram Carabajal, 53, was convicted in June of bribery and perjury in the case involving Shirin Zarrindej, 49, a dog groomer from Encino. Zarrindej was acquitted of the same charges.

Carabajal wrote Zarrindej a ticket for speeding on Interstate 5 in 2008. On the day she appeared in court, Carabajal showed up and told the judge he had not received an official notice to be in court, which led the judge to dismiss the ticket.

CHP investigators had become suspicious of Carabajal because of his past conduct toward women to whom he had written tickets and because Zarrindej had called the CHP's Oceanside station looking for him. They followed the pair as they left court and met at a motel in Oceanside.

Carbajal, a 26-year veteran of the CHP, retired two days after being questioned by investigators.

San Diego County Superior Court Judge Lisa Foster ordered Carabajal taken to jail immediately after she announced the sentence. Carabajal could have been sentenced to up to four years and eight months.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

 

Comments

[Dana]

glad he got caught

[Lisa C.]

Abie has been my friend for 46 yrs and has always been a person i have respected and always will...i hope all of you who judge have never done anything wrong...ever...please...shame on you...and i do not condone what he did...at all

[Schigolch]

Things may go hard for Abie in prison because he's a law enforcement officer. It's a harsh penalty. The bureaucracy is sending a message to its other employees: don't do this.

In line with what 3825You says(above), government bureaucracies have become hypersensitive to waste & fraud issues because of the public controversy about their pay & benefits.

[Olivia]

Perfect conclusion to this story.

[reiz]

He got what he deserved. Justice done.

[Curtis Lemanski]

I agree, pretty harsh considering defendants with multiple convictions for drug dealing and possession of firearms routinely get probation or maybe a year in county.

Having said that, the guy was wrong and in a perfect world would do about that much time....but we live in California, where even the most vile child molesters may only spend five years in prison before they are released early.

[the rack]

Wow!! Crooked cop. I love it when cops get busted!!!!

[Judgement Day]

Definitely won't judge - He got his day in court and sentencing was handed down. Yet, in my opinion, it is important that if a law enforcement officer crosses the line - accountability for ALL is the just thing to do. No one should be above the law!

[Ken]

If he had not been caught, this would have continued with multiple victims--which there are probably others we don't know about. And you say
"Shame on you"? Shame on you for enabling people like this who victimize others and manipulate the system with the power of the badge.

[womann]

Another job related felon collecting full pension while we struggle.

[Doug]

Two years in jail it a bit harsh for the crime in my opinion. Yes, I am glad he gt caught, by two years in Jail? How about a fine, probation and loss of his job. His life is pretty screwed up at this point. Now, we as tax payers are going to have to foot the bill of jailing him for 2 years. So, that is going to cost us more in the long run!

[All Hallows Eve]

I certainly don't condone his actions either, but 2 years? The sex was obviously consensual. Awfully harsh sentence.

[GillenH2O]

I really don't care too much for corrupt cops, or even perverted ones who exploit women because they cannot control their sexual urges. But 2 years in prison seems way over-the-top, and far too harsh. This creep should have just been fired with the loss of his pension. Maybe a few months County jail time just to humiliate him a little. But State Prison? No.

[lucygoosey]

at least he got his retirement

[reload]

just for sex? what about arrest rich folks who paid off cops to fix their tickets??

[DLH]

The man did wrong and was rightfully convicted and sentenced to 2 years in prison. If he had been convicted of murder or rape, I can understand taking his pension benefits but, not for this. He definitely tarnished the CHP and his 26 year career. He earned that pension. He did not force that lady to go to that motel at gunpoint, she willingly went with him.

[stephanie]

he gets to keep his pension??
this is all so very wrong - he worked the system - feels no shame in his actions. It is a crime that he gets to keep his pension when he's been doing this a very long time, obviously had someone in Sacramento covering for him - local police chief wanted him fired long ago.He is a shame to the good officers out there.The pension issue is due to the union and corruption.

[Doreen]

2 years seems a bit over the top for the ticket escapade. Yeah he's wrong but she should have to bear some responsibility too. After all, she conspired to commit fraud in getting her ticket fixed. That's money she should rightfully have had to pay. If he forced her then yes, but sounds like he did her a favor that she wanted and agreed to. But all in all, he should have lost his job and got community service and probation. She definitely should get charges against her as well.

[James Jackson]

Obviously, this man aroused suspicion because he had committed similar crimes previously. The officer violated a position of public trust and received a sentence far too lenient as other sex offenders often get life. I was surprised to discover that the most he could have gotten was only 4 years 8 months--still far too light for such a violation. Criminals are criminals, and one's position in society should not mitigate condign punishment.

I've noticed too that whenever the LA Times reports on an officer who commits a felony, comments supporting and excusing that officer flood the comments section, probably from fellow officers. Does that indicate the collective police attitude to such behavior?

[MEI]

This is not a perfect world, everyone has made mistakes, with the different of never been exposed. Way too harsh punishment. Hope his family is doing fine.

[leatherneck556]

As a public servant, he should have known better and led by example. According to the article, he has a history of "conduct" towards women. I feel that justice was served.

[gerald guerrero]

We are told to respect these officers. This guy just thought he was above the rest of us. They should have taken away his pension! Just like any profession, there are great cops, and there are not so great cops. I'm sure this guy was a good cop most of the time. He just slipped up. However, we don't know how many other times he slipped up.....
Too bad. He disgraced the badge, his family, and himself.

[Ray McCauley]

This CHP officer should have got the max of 4 years and 8 months plus additional time because he abused his authority.

[u know]

Amazing how little people acutally know. You cannot take away this guys pension, doesn't matter if he was convicted of murder, child molestation, or spitting on the sidewalk. Stop getting so hung up on that issue. The cop, dirty or otherwise paid into HIS pension plan for 26 yrs (his own money, as well as some contributed by the state), he gets to collect that pension for the rest of his life. For those of you who still don't get it, let me try and make it clearer. The rest of us who work pay into Social Security, once we pay a certain amount of money for a certain amount of time then we are elgible to collect a SS check for the remainder of our lives, EVEN if we are convicted of any crime, NO ONE can take that away from you or I.

Before you complain that his pension is part of what we all pay for RECOGNIZE that so are your Social Security benefits. If that cop paid into Social Security for all of those years he would get those benefits as well. Think of it this way, the CHP have their own pension plan, the rest of us have our own plan as well. When the CHP officers arrest and convict you or I (rhetorically speaking) they don't go on and on about how we should have our Social Security checks taken away from us. I hope you learned something.

[Darren Chaker]

It is unfortunate this officer discarded his pension, career, etc. and now equal to those he use to arrest--a criminal. However, it should be noted this officer is merely a person, not a super hero. If he was truly above those he policed, then he would not be in prison. As I said, just a man who allowed his urges to overcome his duty. Darren Chaker