Witness: Lance Jimenez

Lance Jimenez’s Testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Trial: Day 11 Highlights On May 28, 2025, during Day 11 of Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, Lance Jimenez, an arson investigator with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), testified at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York. Jimenez, the prosecution’s 19th witness, provided details about his investigation into the January 2012 firebombing of rapper Scott 'Kid Cudi' Mescudi’s Porsche 911 in Hollywood, an incident allegedly tied to Combs’ jealousy over Kid Cudi’s relationship with Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura. His testimony aimed to support the prosecution’s racketeering conspiracy charge by linking Combs to alleged acts of arson and intimidation. Jimenez began by describing the scene of the January 2012 fire at Kid Cudi’s Hollywood Hills driveway. He told the jury that the fire was caused by a Molotov cocktail, fashioned from a 40-ounce Old English 800 malt liquor bottle and a designer handkerchief, which was thrown through the convertible roof of Kid Cudi’s Porsche 911. Jimenez detailed the damage, noting a burned hole in the roof, scorch marks on the driver’s seat and door, and the remains of the Molotov cocktail nearby. He explained that the lit cloth would have been hot for the perpetrator to handle, but the bottle itself would not have heated significantly, correcting a defense suggestion that the bottle would be too hot to hold without a glove. He testified about the items collected at the scene, including the Molotov cocktail remains, a lighter, and a black glove found on the driver’s seat. Jimenez clarified that the glove belonged to Kid Cudi and was not submitted for forensic testing, as he believed it was not relevant to the arsonist’s actions. He noted that he requested DNA and fingerprint testing on other items, like the bottle and lighter, but over his 20-year career, he had 'very few hits with DNA' in fire investigations, indicating the challenges of obtaining usable forensic evidence in such cases. A key point in Jimenez’s testimony was the destruction of fingerprint evidence. He revealed that he had collected a fingerprint card from the scene for comparison, but in August 2012—eight months after the fire—someone within the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), not involved in the investigation, ordered the fingerprint cards destroyed. Jimenez stated this was not normal protocol, as such evidence should not have been destroyed without his sign-off. This revelation prompted a defense request for a mistrial, with Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo arguing that the prosecution’s questions implied Combs could 'buy his way out' of criminal investigations, suggesting misconduct. Judge Arun Subramanian denied the motion, stating there was 'absolutely no testimony from the witness that was prejudicial.' Jimenez also testified that the firebombing case remained open, but attempts to follow up with persons of interest provided by Kid Cudi went nowhere. He confirmed that Kid Cudi had given him several names to investigate, but those leads did not result in arrests or further evidence tying anyone directly to the crime. Jimenez noted that the fire could have been worse if the perpetrators had used more basic materials, suggesting the designer handkerchief and specific bottle choice may have limited the fire’s spread. During cross-examination by Agnifilo, Jimenez was pressed on his lack of expertise in DNA and fingerprint collection. He admitted he was not trained in those areas and was not involved in that part of the investigation, as his role focused on the fire’s origin and cause. Agnifilo questioned why the black glove wasn’t tested, to which Jimenez reiterated it belonged to Kid Cudi and was not deemed relevant. The defense also explored whether the Molotov cocktail’s heat would necessitate a glove, but Jimenez’s correction about the heat being in the cloth, not the bottle, undermined that line of inquiry. On redirect, the prosecution asked Jimenez about the thoroughness of his investigation despite the lack of forensic results. He affirmed that he followed standard procedures, requesting tests where appropriate, but the destruction of the fingerprint evidence by the LAPD hindered further progress. Jimenez’s testimony concluded after the redirect, providing a factual but limited account due to the lack of direct evidence tying Combs to the arson.

Compiled from news sources and summarized by Grok.

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