A Los Angeles County sheriff’s captain is under investigation for allegedly freeing a pro-golfer turned jewel thief for a few hours to help him shave strokes off his golf game, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The thief, Frank Carrillo, claims Capt. Jeff Donahue escorted him in a patrol Jeep to a hilltop golf course last summer on Catalina Island for the impromptu lesson.
Carrillo says he was still wearing his yellow inmate jumpsuit while helping Donahue with his swing, the newspaper reports.
“He kind of has this swing that’s old school and risky, but he hits it every time,” Carrillo, a 41-year-old former pro golfer in Canada, tells the Times. “I would probably say he’s a 14 or 15 handicap. Not too bad.”
Carrillo was serving time for stealing thousands of dollars worth of cash, watches and jewelry at a string of golf courses, the newspaper says.
Sheriff’s officials are strictly forbidden from fraternizing with inmates, the Times notes. The probe was prompted by a complaint by one of Donahue’s subordinates.
On the bright side, Carrillo says that Donahue, who is now on medical leave, came back from a subsequent trip to Palm Springs raving about his improved swing.
