Murder charges filed in triple shooting that left Baldwin Park police officer dead

Los Angeles Times

2 days ago

A 22-year-old man who gunned down a Baldwin Park police officer after allegedly killing his neighbor Saturday night will face multiple murder charges, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Eduardo Medina-Berumen was charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances, two counts of attempted murder and possession of an assault pistol in connection with the bursts of gunfire that killed Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros and Darius Wong. If convicted as charged, he faces life without the possibility of parole.
A rifle and as many as 60 spent shell casings were found at the scene, Los Angeles Couty Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said.
Riveros was responding to reports of a shooting in the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue when Medina allegedly shot him in the head, according to two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the case. The sources requested anonymity to discuss the active investigation.
Riveros was racing to try and aid his partner, Officer Anthony Pimentel, who was also wounded in the shooting. He was released from the hospital Tuesday, according to a sheriff's department spokeswoman.
While investigators are still working to determine a motive in the killings, neighbors and two law enforcement sources told The Times there was a parking dispute outside the residence where Medina-Berumen lived shortly before gunshots erupted. Medina-Berumen allegedly shot Darius Wong, 43 — who sources said was the neighbor involved in the parking dispute — shortly before officers arrived.
Medina-Berumen was living with his grandmother and mother, who called police on her son in recent months because he was 'acting weird,' according to the suspect's father, Eduardo Medina.
'I don't understand,' Medina said. 'It's so sad. It's not good. It's not good at all.'
Friends remembered Riveros as a snowboarder and avid Dodgers fan who at times traveled to other cities to watch the teams play road games. Riveros had been an officer since 2016, records show.
'Officer Riveros gave his life in service to others, a profound testament to his unwavering dedication to duty and selfless courage,' the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the killings, 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.'
Wong's brother, Victor Vuong, said his brother was an 'innocent bystander that was walking down the street where he was shot in the back,' according to a post connected to an online fundraiser meant to help cover funeral costs and family expenses.
Wong was walking to a party after he had dropped his wife, two children and sister-in-law off then parked the car several blocks away, the post said. Had they been with him, they may have been killed too.
'He was a hardworking man who cared deeply for his family,' Vuong wrote on GoFundMe. 'His passion for helping others extended beyond his own family. He dedicated himself to show up to work everyday at Choc Orange Hospital.'
Times Staff Writer Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report.