A vigil was held to honor the life of Samuel Riveros, 35, a Baldwin Park police officer who was killed in the line of duty.
Over 1,000 people gathered outside Baldwin Park City Hall on Friday night, where a large memorial filled with flowers, candles and mementos continues growing.
A speaker at the memorial described Riveros as a “man of character, thoughtfulness and courage.”
On May 31, officers responded to a home on the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue, on reports of a man firing a rifle in the street around 7:15 a.m.
When they arrived, they located a victim, Darius Wong, 43, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body. He was transported to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
The officers were met by gunfire from the rifle-wielding suspect. Riveros began running toward the shots to help his colleagues when he was shot by the suspect.
Riveros was airlifted to the hospital where he died from his injuries. The second officer, who was also injured, was hospitalized in stable condition.
The suspect, Eduardo Roberto Medina-Berumen, 22, was also struck by gunfire and was hospitalized in stable condition.
Authorities said Wong, a father of two young daughters, had just parked his car and was walking to a family party when he was shot.
Riveros was a nine-year veteran of the Baldwin Park Police Department. His colleagues remembered him as a dedicated officer and friend who loved serving his community.
“He had a care for this community and he had care for the department,” said Joseph Valencia, a colleague. “Everything that he did was to make the patch look good and to make his brothers and sisters look good and most importantly, to protect the city.”
“He really is my little brother, but he was my crutch and he didn’t know that,” said Sunny Kim, Riveros’ police partner. “I looked to him for that.”
“There is no way for us to convey to you the emptiness and heartache we feel at the loss of our beloved Sammy,” Riveros’ sister said at the candlelight vigil on Friday night.
On June 3, the suspect, Medina-Berumen, was charged with two counts of murder, along with other charges, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office announced.
The charges include special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and the murder of a peace officer. These special circumstances could make Medina-Berumen eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office will decide at a later date whether to pursue capital punishment.
Friends remembered Riveros as a snowboarder and an avid Dodgers fan. Riveros became a law enforcement officer after studying criminology, law and society at UC Irvine. He is survived by his mother and sister.
His family said funeral arrangements are still in the planning stages and no date has been set.
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