O.C. to Bolster Security Guards’ Training

Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona said Saturday that his department will embark on a novel effort to train the county’s 11,000 security guards, a move prompted by the death a day earlier of a guard who was attacked while trying to fend off an attempted robbery.

Orange County would become one of the few local jurisdictions to offer instruction to security guards beyond the one-time training that is required under state law and has long been criticized as inadequate.

Carona said the effort is designed to help guards deal with emergency situations and prevent tragedies like the one last week at a Stanton market in which Ramiro Torres, 65, of Compton was struck by a car allegedly driven by one of two robbers.

“This is a senseless tragedy,” the sheriff said. “Hopefully we can avoid more by having our own officers help these guards by giving them a skill set.”

Sheriff’s officials said additional training is needed because security guards are performing increasingly dangerous work. The number of guards in Orange County jumped more than 30% in the last decade, with an increasing number carrying firearms.

Torres died Friday night at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. He had suffered massive head injuries, including a fractured skull and broken limbs.

Witnesses and police say that Torres was trying to protect the Bestway Supermarket’s night manager and clerk, who police said were being accosted by a masked robber about 11:30 p.m.

The guard was holding the assailant at gunpoint when a second suspect driving a car plowed into him, police said.

The impact sent Torres flying about 40 feet, leaving him with massive head injuries and broken limbs.

“Mr. Torres put his life on the line to protect those two employees, and that was an impressive feat. It was valiant,” Carona said.

Maria Ramirez, the victim’s wife, described Torres as a devoted worker and avid reader who worked for decades as a gardener before turning to security work.

Police later arrested two Anaheim brothers in the case.

On Saturday, co-workers expressed sadness over the guard’s death.

“He was a hard worker who died defending employees. He died because he tried to prevent something violent from happening to someone,” said Eustorgio Penaloza, a fellow security guard who had known Torres for five years.

“Everyone here felt pain that this happened to him. Now we hear that he died,” Penaloza said. “He was a good man. He was responsible and he respected others.”