Baldwin Park officer ran into hail of bullets to aid other officers, officials say. Suspect charged
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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 weapon 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 County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said at a news conference Tuesday.
Sheriff Robert Luna, speaking at the news conference, said Baldwin Park Police Officers Anthony Pimentel and Alfredo Leal were responding to reports of a shooting in the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue shortly after Medina-Berumen allegedly shot and killed Wong. The 22-year-old opened fire on both officers, Luna said. Although Leal was not injured, Pimentel was hurt by glass shards after bullets struck his patrol car window.
Riveros started running toward the shots to aid his fellow officers when Medina-Berumen 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.
“Officer Riveros ... was entering effectively an open shooting environment when he decided to put the safety of his community ahead of his own safety,” Hochman said. “When the bullets were flying, he ran into those bullets ... and in doing so, he made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Pimentel was released from the hospital and attended the news conference.
Slain Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros, 35, was an avid Dodgers fan and snowboarder. A second officer was injured. The suspect, accused of killing another man, is in custody.
Although 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 Wong, 43 — who sources said was the neighbor involved in the parking dispute — shortly before officers arrived. Luna said Tuesday he could not confirm or deny those reports.
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.”
The defendant remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to Luna. It was not immediately clear when he would be arraigned or if he had legal representation.
Hochman, who gave his prosecutors the power to seek the death penalty again earlier this year, said prosecutors would take months to decide whether to seek capital punishment against Medina-Berumen.
Samuel Riveros of the Baldwin Park Police Dept., asked about the health of Freddie and Chelsea Freeman’s son Max. Riveros, 35, was killed Saturday in a shooting.
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.”
The Police Officers Research Assn. of California has launched an online fundraiser to help cover Riveros’ funeral costs.
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 off his wife, two children and sister-in-law and then parked his 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.
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