A 37-year-old father of two who was found inside a police patrol vehicle outside the Azusa Police Department in March died from extreme heat, according to authorities.
Eric Valencia’s death was ruled as accidental and his cause of death was listed as hyperthermia, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
Valencia’s family has called for an investigation to determine why police did not check the parked patrol vehicle at the Azusa police facility and whether Valencia was in a stable condition when he was released after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.
“If it was hyperthermia that caused Eric’s death, it’s extremely sad to hear that Eric suffered tremendously in the back of that Azusa police department patrol car for three days before he died,” Michael Carrillo, an attorney for Valencia’s family, said in a statement.
“Eric’s family is still grieving this loss and they are shocked and saddened by this finding,” according to the statement. “This could have been prevented by the simple task of locking the patrol car or looking inside it. We also note that the autopsy did not include a toxicology screening. We will be investigating why that is, because it leaves significant unanswered questions that need to be addressed.”
Surveillance video provided by police shows Valencia after he’s released from jail around 1 p.m. March 23, according to KABC.He can be seen walking up to a parked patrol vehicle outside the station, getting into the back and shutting the door behind him. Law enforcement vehicles typically cannot be unlocked from the back seats.
Valencia had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment on March 20 and held over the weekend before being released, said Azusa Police Chief Rocky Wenrick at a news conference.
“Mr. Valencia was released from custody with no apparent signs of distress,” Wenrick said during the conference, according to KABC. “Surveillance video shows Mr. Valencia unlawfully entering the rear seat area of patrol unit 37.”
Valencia was initially pulled over for driving without his car’s headlights on, and police suspected he was under the influence, saying he had watery, bloodshot eyes and the car smelled of alcohol, Wenrick told Fox during an interview.
Two children, ages 3 and 11, were in the car with Valencia, Wenrick added. Valencia had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit during his arrest.
Valencia was freed on March 23 and given his property, cellphone and food, according to Wenrick. His body was found inside the unlocked SUV three days later when Wenrick told the fleet maintenance crew to take the patrol cars to be washed.
Valencia’s cellphone was found in working order, and he never called 911 for help, according to Wenrick.
Officials explained that out-of-service vehicles are often parked for days or weeks while awaiting equipment installation.
“We’re gonna do our best in the investigation to figure out why Mr. Valencia walked out and got in the vehicle,” Wenrick said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to provide closure to the family and for our own sake of knowing why that decision was made and why he did what he did.”
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