Police investigating Tito Ortiz photo leak

Huntington Beach Police said they are investigating an unauthorized leak of a photograph of UFC fighter Tito Ortiz taken in city jail after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a retired adult film star.

The photo was leaked to a celebrity gossip website, apparently without permission.

The photograph, taken of a video monitor, shows Ortiz sitting in the Huntington Beach Jail, said Lt. Russell Reinhart.

TMZ, a celebrity-gossip news website, obtained the photograph and posted it April 27.

Reinhart said the department is holding an internal investigation into the matter.

“The employee who took it was not authorized to release it to anyone,” Reinhart said in an e-mail. “This is being handled as an internal personnel matter, and we cannot comment further.”

Jacob Christopher “Tito” Ortiz, 35, was arrested just before noon April 26 in the Huntington Beach house he shares with former porn star Jenna Jameson. He was booked into the Huntington Beach Jail and quickly released on $25,000 bail.

Police were called by Jameson’s father at 9:53 a.m. about a possible domestic dispute at Ortiz and Jameson’s house in the 16700 block of Baruna Lane, officials said. Officials couldn’t confirm if Jameson was involved, but the actress told TMZ that Ortiz had never hit her before and said she will press charges.

“I was completely shocked,” she told TMZ. “Tito is a loving, sweet man, and I’ve always supported him through everything, and for him to lash out at me like this is shocking, and I feel completely betrayed — completely betrayed.”

Ortiz, known as the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” is a former UFC champion. He grew up in Surf City, beginning his wrestling career at Huntington Beach High School and winning a state junior college title in wrestling at Golden West College.

He has not been charged by the Orange County district attorney.