South Pasadena Police Department EV (Photo – City of South Pasadena)
The resignation of Mark Lillienfeld, a former homicide investigator for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, was promptly accepted by the South Pasadena Police Department, and he has been prohibited from future employment with the SPPD.
By Nicolas Perez
Mark Lillienfeld faced allegations of racist comments and inappropriate behavior from a Black officer in attendance at a homicide investigator course at a Holiday Inn in La Mirada.
The officer, a Los Angeles Police Department traffic investigator attending the course, claimed that Lillienfeld made multiple offensive remarks, including referring to Asian students as “Chinamen” and mocking a woman’s name. The officer also accused him of joking that the Black attendees in the class would be the prime suspects if anyone attacked him in the parking lot after class. The most disturbing part of the complaint involved Lillienfeld allegedly making a Nazi-like salute during his lecture. The officer said Lillienfeld clicked his heels and raised one arm, resembling the salute, although she wasn’t sure if it was intentional or a nervous gesture.
During the internal investigation that followed, other attendees of the class were interviewed. While some didn’t recall the events or didn’t find them offensive, others confirmed the Nazi salute and crude jokes. A La Verne officer stated that Lillienfeld said “Sieg Heil” while making the salute. As a result of the findings, the LA Sheriff’s Department placed a “Do Not Rehire” designation in Lillienfeld’s file.
This was not the first time Lillienfeld faced discipline. In 2008, he was reprimanded for using inappropriate language during another training session. He also made headlines for an incident at Men’s Central Jail, where he impersonated a deputy to sneak contraband food into the facility for an inmate.
Lillienfeld began working as a detective for the South Pasadena Police Department after the 2023 training incident. Following the recent Los Angeles Times article on November 27, 2024, detailing the incidents and the “Do Not Rehire” designation, the South Pasadena Police Department started receiving calls about Mr. Lillenfeld from citizens. Police Chief Brian Solinsky accepted Lillienfeld’s resignation on November 27, stating “Such acts are not in keeping with our values and the expectations that our City Council and our residents have from members of our police force.” The California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training has indicated it will review its regulations to prevent instructors like Lillienfeld from continuing to teach in the future.
> The Press Release from South Pasadena Police Department:
If the LASD findings were in his records, why on earth did SPPD hire him? Something’s wrong with their vetting process.