Embattled LA sheriff Lee Baca expected to retire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A law enforcement official says embattled Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will announce his retirement.

The official spoke to The Associated Press early Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to publicly release the information in advance of a 10 a.m. PST press conference planned by Baca.

The 71-year-old Baca has been seeking election to a fifth term, but the department and jails he heads have come under increasing heat in recent months, including a federal indictment of 18 current and former deputies allegedly involved in jail violence or cover-ups.

Baca was first elected in 1998 when his incumbent opponent, Sherman Block, died just days before the vote.

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