A disturbing series of internal communications and leaked documents suggest an alleged stabbing incident involving a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Lieutenant may have been covered up by ranking officials at the Lost Hills Station.
At the center of the controversy is the retired Lieutenant (referred to as “R.L.” going forward to protect his family), a figure well-known and respected in Malibu, and once described as supportive of line personnel — until, as one insider put it, “he lost his shit.”
According to multiple sources R.L. has been experiencing a series of mental health crises since 2022, which has escalated to alleged involvement in criminal and dangerous behavior, including car-jacking, burglary, assault and now being stabbed due to alleged non-payment of services performed by sex workers.
It has recently come to light that multiple incidents occurring over the last three years, some of which were while he was still employed by LASD, are being covered up by command staff at the Lost Hills Station under the command of Captain Jennifer Seetoo.
The concerning behavior displayed by R.L. first came to the attention of the station’s command staff shortly after Seetoo was assigned to the Captain’s spot at Lost Hills in May of 2022. Seetoo was on vacation the first three weeks of her new assignment when the first known incident of bizarre and erratic behavior by R.L. occurred in Lost Hills jurisdiction. At the time, R.L. was still employed by LASD, however, was out Injured on Duty.
The most recent incident occurred on March 28th, where R.L. was forced off the freeway by three men in a black SUV and got into an altercation reportedly stemming from R.L’s alleged refusal to pay for services rendered by sex workers.
An incident report from the same day corroborates a portion of the account. Filed at 13:39 on March 28, the log documents that R.L. arrived at the West Hills Hospital ER stating he had been stabbed on the exit to Lost Hills Road from the 101 Freeway. California Highway Patrol was on the scene and stood by until LASD deputies arrived.
Multiple messages allege that Lieutenant Dustin Carr, who is the current Lost Hills Operations Lieutenant and formerly worked at Internal Affairs, attempted to suppress the incident. Carr reportedly instructed deputies to turn off body cameras during a previous DUI crash involving R.L., then had the vehicle transported to the station where trustees were ordered to scrub and repair the damage.
Carr is rumored to be in line for promotion, making the alleged cover-up all the more politically charged.
Further accounts claim that when R.L. sought medical aid at a local firehouse (Station 125), he abruptly left after personnel began “asking too many questions,” eventually driving himself to the hospital.
“This whole thing reeks of a hush operation,” said one source. “They even handed off the stabbing report to a deputy unfamiliar with R.L., and told him to keep it quiet.”
One message sums up the internal sentiment: “Dustin Carr shouldn’t be trying to cover this up either.” Another adds, “R.L. is a lost cause at this point, unless he gets into rehab nothing is gonna change.”
The allegations point to a troubling culture of silence and protectionism within LASD leadership. With multiple scandals already plaguing the department in recent years, questions now mount about whether internal affairs or external oversight will investigate these new claims.
The Current Report reached out to Assistant Sheriff Jason Skeen, Commander Mark Reyes, Captain Jennifer Seetoo, and Lt. Dustin Carr regarding the incident, however, did not receive a response.
A Captain Installed Without Consensus
In May 2022, council members from multiple cities contacted the Malibu Daily News stating they were blindsided by the decision made by their City Managers and unaware that Jennifer Seetoo “was even being interviewed or they would have spoken up”. City managers from at least 4 out of the 5 cities intimated to their council members and Acting Captain Joe Fender that he was their choice for Captain at the station.
Sources inside the department told Malibu Daily News it is rumored that at the time, then Lt. Seetoo settled her lawsuit with the department alleging discrimination just in time to be considered for the Captain’s position.
City and department sources told Malibu Daily News that Malibu City Council member Mikke Pierson and Karen Farrer, orchestrated a coup, pressuring city managers from the four other cities to change their choice from Acting Captain Fender to Lt. Seetoo without discussing the change with council members (who oversee the city manager). Most council members were unaware she was interviewing for the position and/or made aware at the last minute, or after the fact.
Operational Chaos During Fire Response
According to multiple sources familiar with internal operations, tensions erupted between agencies during the Palisades and Eaton fire incidents. Friction emerged between Cal Fire’s “red hats” and LASD personnel, particularly over who had incident command authority. The Rose Bowl Incident Management Team (IMT), an elite LASD unit, had to step in and assert jurisdiction—citing the potential criminal nature of the fires and the likelihood of murder charges should arson be confirmed.
According to the source, Malibu/Lost Hills Captain Jennifer Seetoo inserted herself into the fire response—even though IMTs are explicitly designed to act independently from local station captains. Her involvement reportedly caused significant disruption and blurred the chain of command.
As a result of the confusion, Cal Fire reportedly “drove right over her and the Palisades IMT,” forcing the Rose Bowl IMT to intervene and “clear things up.” The source described the situation as driven by ego clashes and a lack of understanding of IMT protocols—a costly distraction during a critical incident.
Ironically, Sheriff Robert Luna, equally incapable of managing emergency operations as evidenced during the failed Eaton Fire evacuations that lead to 17 deaths, Luna proudly presented an award for Captain Seetoo’s “bravery” during the Palisades Fire.
It should be noted that seetoo and her husband were big donors to Luna’s campaign in 2022.
Not Her First Rodeo
In 2018, Seetoo was appointed Acting Captain after former Captain Josh Thai suffered a stroke during the Malibu Creek State Park Shootings investigation. Seetoo was also at the helm during the Woolsey Fire, which was a natural disaster/tactical nightmare due to many factors under Seetoo’s command. Shortly after the fire destroyed more than 600 homes in the area, Sheriff Alex Villanueva took office, and Seetoo was promptly replaced by Acting Captain Chuck Becerra.
During the first Santa Ana wind season in 2019, and after the devastating Woolsey Fire, Lt. Seetoo, under the command of Captain Matthew VanderHorck, was in charge of emergency communications.
At least two wildfires were raging in the area, filling the canyons with smoke and flames that could be seen in the distance. Lt. Seetoo was contacted multiple times to get updates as residents who were in a panic, yet failed to make even one official emergency update from the station on social media throughout the four days the fires burned. This left residents with no information to prepare for potential evacuations.
Days later, Lt Seetoo was transferred to West Hollywood, and the station was ordered by Villanueva to undergo intense social media training, with one source at the department telling Malibu Daily News the Lost Hills station was referred to as an “embarrassment and the worst station for emergency communication and social media presence at LASD”. Shortly after, Seetoo sued the department for discrimination, retaliation and harassment.
A Dangerous Mix
The leadership missteps continued in October 2023, following a heartbreaking crash on Pacific Coast Highway that claimed the lives of four Pepperdine University students. In the immediate aftermath, while the community mourned and called for action, the Malibu Search & Rescue team—operating under Seetoo’s watch—published a promotional post on social media involving an alcohol sponsor. The optics were jarring: an LASD-branded account appearing to partner with a liquor company just days after a deadly crash caused by reckless driving.
The collaboration should have been stopped at the station level, yet made it to canning process which was unveiled on social media just days after the quadruple homicide of four young women on PCH.
The fundraising event was for Malibu Search and Rescue (additionally registered as a 501 C3 aside from their affiliation with LASD), and was to include a beer garden at event venue at Malibu Creek State Park. This would have allowed drivers leaving Malibu Creek State Park to drive intoxicated on Malibu Canyon Road, the scene of many over the side vehicle rescues they respond to. Many of those incidents are Driving While Intoxicated. It is astounding how LASD command staff allowed this collaboration to move forward.
Alcohol and a law enforcement agency is a dangerous cocktail to mix.
The social media posts were amended or deleted. But no responsibility has been assumed by LASD or Malibu Search and Rescue for the insensitivity and lack of foresight of such a collaboration and it’s effect on the family of loved ones who were killed in alcohol related accidents.
Then-Mayor Steve Uhring was made aware of the collaboration he gave Malibu Daily News this exclusive quote:
“If it looks bad, it probably is bad… bad visual… it’s a bad visual. The City funds Malibu Search and Rescue with some of our general grant funds every year. How they got involved with a beer company, who thought that was a good idea and why they are following that path, I have no idea but I will follow up and try to find out.”
Conclusion: A Leadership Crisis, Not Just a Public Safety One
Taken together, these episodes paint a disturbing portrait of a station adrift under Captain Seetoo. Her tenure so far has been defined by missed opportunities to lead, and tackle serious safety issues head-on. Whether it’s political missteps, ill-timed social media posts, operational confusion during emergency incidents, the thread running through it all is a troubling lack of leadership at a growing cost to public safety.
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