AV Cop Fakes His Own Shooting

Two weeks ago, an Antelope Valley Sheriff reported getting shot in front of the Sheriff Department located on Lancaster Boulevard. As the story began to unfold, the police learn that the story does not exactly add up.

At first, the rookie cop, Angel Reinosa, claimed to have been shot at with a sniper rifle. But he had no injury, so the weapon in question was later thought to be a pellet rifle. Then, the man accused of the shooting turned out to be physically handicapped and unlikely to be capable of such a shot. As the story continued to unfold, Reinosa came clean and admitted he fabricated the whole situation.

“It felt surreal,” said Emmanuel Mejia, a former Eastside High School student who was present on Lancaster BLVD at the time of the supposed shooting. “I was confused at first as to why we had to leave the area, but I just got in my car and left as fast as possible.”

Lancaster Boulevard was on lockdown for several days with SWAT team vans patrolling the area, trying to locate both the alleged shooter and weapon.

When asked about how he felt after finding out the news was fake, Emmanuel responded by saying, “It was surprising. I don’t understand why he would fake something like that.”

The AV Sheriff Department has gone on record to say that officer Angel Reinosa will face criminal charges for fabricating the whole scene and wasting police time. He’s also been fired from the force.

Is that enough to regain public trust? Not for Eastside senior Jeffrey Chavez.

Jeffrey Chavez, an Eastside High School senior, isn’t just confused; he’s disappointed. “I feel betrayed,” says Jeffrey. “I was in fear for my life when I saw cops showing up evacuating the area, people running all over the place, only to find out it was a hoax.”

We asked Chavez if he felt he could trust the police after this incident, but he just shook his head.

“Not at all after pulling something like that,” he says. “It makes me frustrated.”