Nick Janes
FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — A longtime
California Highway Patrol sergeant nearing retirement now faces child
pornography charges.
Eric Lund, 49, is from Chico,
but was arrested in Fairfield at the CHP office where he works.
He lives part of his
professional life in the public eye, but in his personal life, neighbors
describe him as reclusive, and say he hardly ever came outside.
Part of his job was to talk to
the press as a police spokesman, but at home, his neighbors wondered why he
said next to nothing to them.
On his former Chico street, the
sergeant and his family were known to some as a neighborhood mystery.
“They had a couple children, I
guess, but we never saw them outside. I wouldn’t even know what they looked
like,” said former neighbor Mary Young.
Vacaville Police had a mystery
of their own. Using sophisticated software, a detective was tracking an unknown
person downloading child pornography in Suisun, Fairfield and Vacaville.
Police say they traced the
downloads to a surprising suspect—Sgt. Lund. They allege he looked at child
pornography on and off duty. During a search of his personal car, investigators
say they found a hard drive with nearly two-dozen videos.
“Oh my gosh, that’s too bad. I
hope he gets the help he needs. People like that need help,” said former
neighbor Richard Young.
Neighbors say Lund moved to an
upscale neighborhood north of Chico. He’s out on bail, but nobody answered the
door at his most recent address.
Police say Lund took a
temporary transfer to the Fairfield CHP and would stay in the area during his
work week. At age 49, investigators say the sergeant with a six-figure salary
was already contemplating retirement.
The CHP released a statement
calling the charges and disturbing. They have put Lund on administrative leave
and stripped him of his peace officer powers.
