‘A night of tragedy': 2 dead in Baldwin Park shootout, including young officer

Los Angeles Times

3 days ago

A young Baldwin Park police officer who loved the Dodgers and was an avid snowboarder was killed in a shooting late Saturday that also left a civilian dead and another officer injured.
Officer Samuel Riveros, 35, was identified Sunday as the officer who died, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He had been rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center but was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to medical examiner's records. The injured officer, Anthony Pimentel, was released from the hospital Sunday.
The identities of the male suspect accused of firing at the officers and the civilian man found shot to death near the shooting were not released as of Sunday afternoon.
Juan Ruvalcaba, 81, lives across the street from where the shooting began Saturday night. He told The Times on Sunday that he initially thought he was hearing firecrackers but then saw his neighbor shooting what appeared to be a long gun. He said the young man was in his own front yard and seemed to be shooting into the air and in the direction of a different nearby street — but he didn't see the man aiming at anyone or anything in particular.
Still, he said, he called the man's grandmother, who lived with him, and warned her to hide under a bed and not let her grandson inside. 'Don't open it, not even to him,' Ruvalcaba told the grandmother before going inside his own home. He said he couldn't see any other part of what happened next but was shaken by the two deaths.
'Thank God that I'm still here,' Ruvalcaba said.
At a Sunday news conference, Baldwin Park Police Chief Robert A. López fought back tears. 'It's extremely tragic to have to deal with this,' he said.
López said Riveros loved to travel to Dodgers games and watch the team play at different stadiums.
'Officer Riveros gave his life in service to others, a profound testament to his unwavering dedication to duty and selfless courage,' the Sheriff's Department wrote in a statement. 'His loss is profoundly felt—not only by his family and colleagues, but by the entire Baldwin Park community and law enforcement family. The death of an innocent civilian only deepens this tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim's loved ones as they endure unimaginable grief.'
He had been an officer at the Baldwin Park Police Department since 2016, officials said.
According to a LinkedIn profile that matched Riveros' information, he became a law enforcement officer after studying criminology, law and society at UC Irvine. There he had played lacrosse and mentored youth in Orange County as part of the Criminology Outreach Program.
He is survived by his mother and sister.
'When danger erupted last night and the call went out for help, it was our Baldwin Park police officers who responded without hesitation, reflecting the best of bravery and conviction to serve,' Baldwin Park Mayor Alejandra Avila said in a statement Sunday. 'On behalf of our council and city hall staff, I offer our sincerest condolences to the victims, our Baldwin Park police department community and the families of those affected by this violence. Last night was a night of tragedy for our community.'
Baldwin Park police officers initially responded to a call around 7:12 p.m. about a person shooting rounds with a rifle near 4200 Filhurst Ave. and a possible body on the sidewalk, officials said. When they arrived in the area, they were 'met by gunfire,' Sheriff Robert Luna said. In the shootout that followed, two officers were shot.
The wounded officers were rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center — one by air and one by ground transport.
Officers at the scene also found the civilian man dead in the frontyard of the home where they encountered the suspect, according to Baldwin Park officials. He was also taken to the hospital but died there of his injuries, sheriff's officials said.
The suspect was also wounded but was listed as stable Sunday afternoon. Luna said investigators had recovered the weapon.
Luna said it was unclear how many shots were fired. His agency is leading the investigation into the shooting.
On Sunday morning, the area around 13500 Palm Ave. remained an active crime scene. The entire block was still cordoned off as emergency vehicles and investigators flooded the area.
But by the afternoon, the street had reopened. Several residents were hosing away what appeared to be bloodstains from a few spots on the street, sidewalks and nearby lawns. Damage from bullet holes was obvious on windows of both a home and a police cruiser.
Joe Rya, who lives about a block from where the shooting occurred, said he was still in shock.
'You could hear the bullets flying,' Rya recalled. 'Shots were banging off things, I told the children to get down.'
He said he'd lived in the neighborhood for 34 years and considered it relatively quiet, though he said they hear occasional gunshots. The majority-Latino community is made up of modest single-family homes, most with fences around their frontyards.
Beginning at 7:16 p.m. Saturday, 11 shots rang out on Palm Avenue, according to video footage reviewed by The Times.
A homeowner whose Ring camera captured the shooting, who declined to give his name, said he initially thought the gunshots were fireworks. Only later did he look outside and see police cars flooding the street.
He also considered the neighborhood usually 'pretty calm,' he said from his frontyard Saturday night, just steps from police tape that cordoned off the next block. Until Saturday, he couldn't recall any shootings in his nine years living on Palm Avenue, he said.
According to another video reviewed by The Times, six additional shots were fired at 7:26 p.m. near the corner of Palm and Filhurst avenues as helicopters circled overhead.
By 9 p.m. Saturday, multiple law enforcement agencies had descended on the neighborhood and were going door to door around the area. Police cars from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and West Covina and El Monte police departments were stationed in the neighborhood.
'I extend my sincerest condolences to the family, friends, colleagues and community members affected by the shooting of police officers in Baldwin Park yesterday,' Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) said in a statement. 'I also want to express condolences to the fallen officer and his family. Thank you for the courage you held and the deeply humble decision you made to protect and serve the people of Baldwin Park, may you rest easy.'
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell also extended his condolences to the community on behalf of his agency.
'This heartbreaking loss is a solemn reminder of the risk officers take every day when protecting their community,' McDonnell said in a statement. 'Our hearts are with Baldwin Park PD as they mourn a beloved colleague, and prayers for his wounded colleague.'
Times staff photographer Luke Johnson and Rebecca Ellis contributed to this report.