Former Arlington Hts. cop arrested in California

A former Arlington Heights police officer was arrested in Southern California Thursday after authorities there said he pretended to inspect a massage parlor then coerced workers into giving him a free massage.

Edward J. LaPorte, 47, worked for the Arlington Heights Police Department from 1997 to 2001, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County sheriff's office. Before that he was a military policeman in the Marine Corps, according to Amormino.

LaPorte is charged with impersonating a police officer and burglary. More charges are pending, Amormino said.

LaPorte is accused of conducting a fake inspection of the massage parlor in a Los Angeles suburb Monday. Managers of the parlor told police that LaPorte identified himself as a police officer responding to a complaint. Amormino said LaPorte flashed the Arlington Heights police badge, which he had fastened to his belt, and also showed workers a gun in a shoulder holster along with two ammunition clips.

LaPorte proceeded to walk through the parlor with a clipboard taking notes. A short time later, Amormino said, LaPorte began complaining of shoulder and back pain from carrying the gun in the shoulder holster and insisted on a massage. The manager was hesitant at first, but eventually agreed to have a masseuse perform the massage.

Amormino said the masseuse told investigators LaPorte was completely nude and lying face down during the first part of the massage, but then turned over and asked the woman to “rub the front.” The masseuse refused and told LaPorte to get dressed, Amormino said.

LaPorte eventually got dressed, continued the phony inspection and then demanded $200 from the manager. He also didn't pay for the massage, Amormino said.

The manager became suspicious and called county government officials asking why he was being inspected. When the county inspection agency couldn't find any inspection record, they sent someone to the parlor to check out LaPorte. A county employee caught up with LaPorte as he was leaving the massage parlor, but Amormino said the former officer became belligerent under questioning and claimed to be from the state.

Witnesses told investigators LaPorte ran to his car and drove away. A parlor employee followed him, took down a partial license plate number and turned the information over to the sheriff's office. Authorities eventually tracked LaPorte down at his home in Mission Viejo, a neighboring suburb southeast of Los Angeles.

Amormino said LaPorte reported that he'd been living in California since he left the Arlington Heights police force in 2001. He listed “security” as his job description on the arrest reports.

Arlington Heights police on Saturday directed all inquiries about LaPorte's history with the department to Chief Gerald Mourning, who did not return calls seeking comment.