Cal Poly Pomona security officer who was fatally stabbed on campus is identified: ‘He will be greatly missed’
A Cal Poly Pomona security officer who was fatally stabbed on campus last week has been identified, authorities said.
Mark Manlapaz was a senior park ranger in Claremont for three years and a 16-year veteran of the university’s campus security team, the city said in a Facebook post. He was killed while working his shift as a public safety specialist on Friday.
“Mark was a friendly, helpful, and dedicated figure in the Claremont Wilderness Park and on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona. He will be greatly missed by his family, co-workers, and the community,” the city said on Facebook.
Authorities told The Times that the security officer, 37, was stabbed and slashed in the neck. When police arrived, officers opened fire on the 31-year-old male suspect.
Manlapaz and the suspect were pronounced dead at the two scenes.
The stabbing took place in the 3500 block of Pomona Boulevard about 4:30 p.m. The victim was found on the front seat of a truck parked on campus.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department received a call from Cal Poly Police around 4:55 p.m. about a person acting erratically.
About that same time, the suspect was shot four blocks away, near University Drive and Temple Avenue, said Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A knife was recovered at the scene.
A community vigil for Manlapaz will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday at Lewis Park.
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