A Deputy ‘Taken Too Soon’

Hundreds of colleagues, relatives and friends of the late Brad Riches gathered Monday night at a park in Lake Forest to light candles in memory of the slain Orange County sheriff’s officer.

“Deputy Riches, I am grateful for all of your outstanding efforts, not only for myself but all community members,” said Julie Strickland, a resident who organized the vigil. “You were taken too soon, but I will always keep you and your family in my prayers.”

Riches, 34, was killed early Saturday in an ambush outside a convenience store as he patrolled the neighborhood.

“It’s just overwhelming to see how many people are here,” Deputy Val Lucas, who worked with Riches, told those who gathered at Village Pond Park for the candlelight vigil. “Everyone always says, ‘It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.’ In this case, it was 100% true. Every single person he met in his life was a friend.”

Riches’ younger brother, Robert, was among those who spoke.

“He was the most wonderful brother. He really was all that and more,” Robert Riches said. “I never thought I would be burying my brother. Perhaps the Lord has plans for this tragedy.”

Paul Swanson of Mission Viejo said he was a family friend of Riches’ ex-wife.

“I went to his wedding, and I’m going to go to his funeral,” he said. “That’s just not right.”

Jim Henery, a friend of Riches since high school, said, “Though we can’t talk to him on the phone, we can talk to him in our prayers. We shouldn’t focus on the tragedy . . . but remember him and keep him alive in our thoughts and our minds.”

But the horror of the incident was inescapable. Sheriff’s deputies, many of whom clustered in tight circles, spoke in quiet voices about how the victim could have been any one of them.

“Whoever pulled in was going to get it,” one officer said of the attack in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven.

As the vigil ended, organizer Strickland beseeched the crowd not to take for granted the officers who patrol the streets.

“When you leave here, always keep the memory of Deputy Brad Riches alive,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to open your heart to all of your law enforcement agencies.”