Man found dead in Lakewood riverbed had mental capacity of child, family says
A 24-year-old Norwalk man who was found shot to death in the San Gabriel River bed had the mental capacity of a child, his family said.
Duke Herrera was discovered dead with a single gunshot wound to his upper torso just after 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the bottom of an embankment in the riverbed along the Long Beach-Lakewood border, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Herrera’s family told KABC-TV that Herrera had the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, but could still ride a bicycle and use public transportation. Herrera’s family had expected him to head home Friday after going to the Lakewood-based Social Vocational Services, a program that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“I joined the Marine Corps to protect my country, and in this case, I couldn’t even protect my own son,” his father Phillip Herrera told the news station.
The Los Angeles Times has reached out to Herrera’s family for a comment.
Herrera was previously reported missing in May 2014 after he left his home in Norwalk, according to the Sheriff’s Department. At the time, sheriff’s officials said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered from depression.
Anyone with details about Herrera’s death is urged to call to the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
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