The crash killed the Lakers star, his daughter Gianna and seven others. Baca ordered a criminal investigation of the FBI agents conducting an undercover investigation, and he directed that the informant be concealed from federal investigators. According to the lawsuit, Deputies Raul Versales, Rafael Mejia, Joey Cruz and Michael Russell shared images of the crash scene in Calabasas. The pilot had become disoriented by the poor visibility and crashed into the side of a hill, killing everyone on board. But in an interview two months later, he admitted to investigators he had had no legitimate reason to send the photos to the traffic deputy.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 11, 2021 03:56 UTC