Man Shot by Los Angeles Police Used Assumed French Identity

LOS ANGELES — Mar 3, 2015, 8:38 PM ET
By TAMI ABDOLLAH Associated Press


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A French official says a homeless ex-con who was killed by Los Angeles police had stolen the identity of a French citizen and was living under an assumed name.

Axel Cruau, the consul general for France in Los Angeles, says 39-year-old Charley Saturmin Robinet applied for a French passport in the late 1990s to come to the United States to pursue a career in acting.

When he was convicted of bank robbery in 2000, the consulate initially provided him with the support they would give any other citizen. Cruau says officials ultimately realized Robinet is not French and the real Charley Robinet is still living in France.

A law enforcement official identified Robinet as the man killed in a scuffle with police. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/o...y-ill-29345732