Los Angeles, CA – On Wednesday, August 20, community members and organizers from Centro CSO joined the family of David Ordaz Jr. to protest outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse. They demanded justice for Ordaz Jr. who was murdered by East Los Angeles Deputy Remin Pineda and three other deputies on March 14, 2021 in East LA.

In 2022, former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon charged Pineda with two felonies: assault with a firearm and assault under color of authority. However, Pineda walked free without serving any prison time for Ordaz’s murder. It turned out Mark Arnold, a biased judge who was a former sheriff deputy himself, with a son currently in law enforcement, merely sentenced Pineda to two-years probation. The judge claimed Pineda “didn’t go out with the intent to kill.” The facts are clear: David was shot already bleeding and lying on the ground. Pineda walked up and fired the final fatal bullet at close range. That was an execution.

During the protest, family members and protesters watched Pineda be escorted to and from the courthouse. The family condemned how the system continues to shield the deputy from accountability, asking, “How is he still receiving preferential treatment? How, as a convicted felon of not one but two assault charges, is he able to get an escort out of court to avoid us?”

Emily Ordaz, David Ordaz Jr’s daughter also spoke out, “The preferential treatment by Judge Mark Arnold is an insult to not only my family and I but the justice system as a whole. It’s our responsibility to bring these biases within the courts to light, especially in cases of deputy convictions. Simply put, the outcome of this case highlights the pitfall of the courts to follow through and uphold the law they claim to. Since when was it acceptable to provide a convicted felon with an escort to their car? It’s blatant, it’s biased, and everyone with the power to make a change is complacent.”

The murder of David Ordaz Jr. is not an isolated incident. It is part of a long history of police violence and oppression in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. In 1970, during the Chicano Moratorium, sheriff’s deputies killed journalist Ruben Salazar. This legacy of terror continues today. Sheriff’s deputies have been exposed for running violent “deputy gangs” like the Banditos and the Executioners, which glorify shooting and terrorizing working-class communities. Paul Rea was killed in East Los Angeles in 2019 and most recently Jeremy Flores, a young Chicano from Boyle Heights was murder by LAPD’s Hollenbeck division on July 14, 2025. In each case, the cops kill with impunity while the courts look the other way.

Centro CSO and the Ordaz family are clear with their demands to hold police accountable and jail killer cops! The family of David Ordaz Jr. are backed by Centro CSO and will keep fighting for justice.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #PoliceCrimes #CentroCSO #DavidOrdazJr

Los Angeles, CA – In a criminal court hearing on November 19, former Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy Remin Pineda was given the outrageous sentence of two years of probation, 250 community service hours, and 180 days of suspended county jail time for the killing of David Ordaz Jr. in 2021. As part of the plea deal, Pineda forfeited his right to hold a peace officer position or owning a gun.

On March 14, 2021, David Ordaz Jr. was experiencing a mental health crisis and his family called 911 to receive support. Four sheriff deputies arrived at the scene outside the Ordaz family home and rather than administering aid, escalated the situation. Despite the cries of the Ordaz family, the deputies murdered Ordaz Jr. Sheriff Deputy Pineda was eventually charged with two felony counts: assault with a semiautomatic firearm and assault under color of authority. Deputy Pineda had continued to shoot Ordaz after he had already been shot by other deputies and was on the ground bleeding.

During the November 19 court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Ryan Dibble proposed a plea deal of no contest with no prison time, along with probation, for Pineda. This plea deal had previously been proposed by the DA’s office and rejected by judge Michael Pastor in 2023.

When the Ordaz family received word of the proposed plea deal, they mobilized with Centro CSO a press conference and call-in to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón. The family demanded justice and called for Deputy Pineda to receive prison time for the killing of David Ordaz Jr. The family considers a plea deal with no jail time unacceptable and spoke out at a press conference the day before the hearing.

The courtroom at the LA Criminal Courts was full, with family and supporters showing solidarity with the Ordaz family. Hilda Pedroza, sister of David Ordaz Jr., addressed the judge during the hearing, asking for prison time or a public trial so that the public can see the video of the tragic killing. Emily Ordaz, his daughter and co-chair of Centro CSO’s police accountability campaign, said that for a deputy to not receive jail time after such an egregious case would signal to law enforcement in Los Angeles that they could kill with impunity. David's father also spoke in Spanish, asking for justice for his son.

After Judge Mark Arold, himself a former sheriff deputy, approved the plea deal and sentencing, the Ordaz family spoke to the news media. Pedroza stated that the decision had ended any hope in the justice system.

The East LA Sheriffs continue to kill young Chicanos in East LA. For years, Centro CSO, a community organization in Boyle Heights and East LA, has supported families who have lost loved ones killed by the ELA Sheriffs and helped lead the fight for accountability.

On Saturday, November 23 at 12 p.m., Centro CSO will be hosting an educational event about how to join the struggle against the sheriff’s department. The event will take place at the Rising Youth Club/East Los Soul, 324 N McDonnell Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 9022.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #DavidOrdazJr #CentroCSO #Feature

Los Angeles, CA – On March 26, over 50 people gathered at Belvedere Lakeside Park in East LA to support the surviving family of David Ordaz, Jr. The event was led by Emily Ordaz, the 16-year-old surviving daughter of Ordaz, and Centro CSO’s Sol Marquez.

Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies killed Ordaz outside of his family home on March 14, 2021, after Ordaz was suffering a mental health crisis and his family called 911.

During the beginning rally, the various speakers included Emily Ordaz, Ordaz’s mother Edelmira Ramirez, the family of Marco Vasquez Jr., the family of Paul Rea, the family of Leonel Chavez, the family of David Sullivan, Say Their Names-LA, Luis Sifuentes of Centro CSO and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Street Watch LA.

Among the passionate and inspiring speeches were demands for more community control of LA County Sheriff’s Department and LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the jailing or prosecution of each officer involved in these officer-involved shootings, and solutions to an obvious problem: Los Angeles is a leader in police brutality cases around the country, of which Chicanos are the majority of the casualties.

After the rally, the crowd was led by the Ordaz family to protest the East LA Sheriff’s station, on the opposite side of the park. Hilda Pedroza, the sister of David Ordaz, Jr., pushed her mother Edelmira Ramirez’s wheelchair to the front door of the station. Ramirez pressed the call button, used when asking for assistance from the deputies, or to be let into the station. Ramirez began to plea through the intercom button that she needed to be assisted in winning justice for her son David Ordaz, Jr. The crowd of protesters became angered by the deputies ignoring Ramirez’s cries for help.

Pedroza, inspired by her mother, angrily grabbed a microphone brought by the organizers of the event and at the top of her lungs shouted at the deputies. She demanded that they push one of Ordaz’s killers, LA Deputy Edwin Navarrete, out to face justice. Protesters began to cry as Pedroza’s cries for justice struck a chord.

Deputies began to encircle the protesters simultaneously as the doors suddenly opened and a number of deputies came out to speak with the family. They attempted to separate the Ordaz family from the activists, but the family did not fall for the old trick of divide and conquer. As deputy vehicles and armed deputies began to move in closer, leaders of the event led the event away from the deputies. The event concluded as the Ordaz family succeeded in leading a pivotal event to win justice for David Ordaz, Jr. and a reminder to all that the fight is far from over.

Plans for the Ordaz family are to join Centro CSO’s May Day event in Boyle Heights which will be on May 1 at noon. The event will begin at the intersection of N Mathews and East Cesar E Chavez Avenue, where all participants will assemble before marching and celebrating International Workers Day. Join the event to help the Ordaz Family win justice. Contact CSO at (323) 943-2030, CentroCSO@gmail.com, or @CentroCSO on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more information.

#LosAngelesCA #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CentroCommunityServiceOrganizationCSO #DavidOrdazJr

Los Angeles, CA – On September 18, the family of David Ordaz, Jr. held a march and rally calling for Mental Health awareness in honor of David, a 34-year-old father of three who was killed by the East LA Sheriffs on March 14, 2021. Ordaz, Jr. was having a mental health crisis, but the ELA Sheriffs responded by killing him in front of his family.

The protest began with a brief kick-off at Belvedere Park gym on Chavez Avenue where Ordaz Jr. loved to work out, before protesters marched down Cesar Chavez and Mednik Avenues to the park’s lakeside bandshell stage, across from the East LA Sheriff’s Station. As Ordaz, Jr. was murdered during a mental health crisis, his family not only demanded justice and accountability for him, but also greater resources, awareness and understanding of mental health issues. Centro CSO and Say Their Names-LA helped provide organizing support.

On March 14, the family of David Ordaz, Jr. called 911 to get him help as he was under mental distress and talking about suicide. ELA Sheriff’s deputies —including Remin Pineda, Edwin Navarrete, Jaime Romero, and Nathaniel Trujillo – arrived at the scene outside of the Ordaz family home in East Los Angeles. The ELA sheriff’s station – the home of the Banditos gang – is known for its aggressive violent behavior and long history of killing Chicano men. Although they were aware of Ordaz Jr.’s mental state, the deputies gunned him down as his family watched in shock. While the department says that Ordaz Jr. charged at the deputies with a knife, footage recorded by a neighbor shows that he did not pose a threat.

In their speeches, the Ordaz family described the pain caused by the East LA Sheriffs and their journey to speaking out. Hilda Pedroza, sister of Ordaz Jr., said “Seeing my brother being murdered by the police was very traumatizing, and it really messed with me. Somebody asked me, why didn’t we do anything before? Why did we wait until six months to protest? Personally, I wasn’t ready for it. We needed to mourn what we could and I personally needed to take care of my own mental health.”

Emily, the daughter of Ordaz Jr., spoke of the injustice of her father’s murder. “We shouldn’t have to be here, this is wrong. I’m barely 15, turning 16 in November and my siblings are 9 and 11. And we have to spend the rest of our lives without my dad and that’s wrong. Because of these officers, I know that one officer has children and he got to spend Father’s Day with his kids, and that’s wrong, because my dad didn’t get to do that,” she said.

The rally at Belvedere Lake opened with Aztec Danzantes, a moment of silence, and an art therapy exercise. Sol Marquez with Centro CSO and Felipe Findlay helped introduce the speakers. Then the families of victims killed by police from across the Los Angeles-area spoke. Relatives of Feras Morad, Fermin Vincent Valenzuela, Donte Jordan, Ernie Serrano, Nicholas Burgos, Sawani Toussaint, Alex Flores, Anthony Vargas, and Marco Vazquez Jr spoke. Many of these families highlighted how their loved ones died in similar circumstances as Ordaz Jr. as they required medical assistance but were instead confronted by killer cops.

Along with these families, organizers in the fight for police accountability spoke in support. Luis Sifuentes of Centro CSO called for community control of the police. Joseph Williams of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles explained the campaign to kick police “unions” out of the LA County Federation of Labor. Eunisses Hernandez of La Defensa described the resources that exist for families impacted by police violence. Esther Lim, Justice Deputy of Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, communicated Solis’ solidarity with the families killed by LASD and the Board of Supervisors motions to hold the LASD accountable.

The Ordaz family has filed a federal lawsuit against four of the deputies involved in the killing. They also call for reforming LASD, in particular their response to mental health crises.

Centro CSO is part of a wider effort at justice and police reform by participating in the Check The Sheriff Coalition and calling on people to participate in the fight for community/civilian control of the LASD. Centro CSO also fights for the demand of families to prosecute killer cops and to disband the LA Deputy Sheriff’s gangs.

#LosAngelesCA #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #DavidOrdazJr

East Los Angeles, CA – On the afternoon of March 14, East LA Sheriffs shot and killed David Ordaz Jr., 34, when the family called for mental health support. Ordaz, father of three children, graduated from the local Garfield High School where he played football. As a young man he was an altar boy and lector at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church. His large working-class family is devastated from witnessing the brutal killing of David in front of their home.

Deputies said they found Ordaz with a kitchen knife inside of his car parked in front of the home. They called for a mental evaluation team, but it never arrived. Ordaz exited the car and was shot with a bean bag and then shot immediately with live ammunition. Ordaz fell to the ground. As he lay wounded a Sheriff's deputy walked up close to him and gave one final deadly shot to his upper body, killing him instantly.

Paramedics rendered aid to Ordaz before transporting him to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The LA County Sheriffs have been involved in several killings when families call emergency for help regarding mental health situations. In a very similar officer-involved killing, East LA Sheriffs tased and beat to death Chicano Eric Briceno inside of his home in Maywood. Briceno was asleep in his own bedroom when he was killed on March 16, 2020. Briceno's parents had called the Sheriffs during a mental health emergency. Instead of helping him, the Sheriffs killed Briceno.

Recent scandal has fallen on East LA Sheriffs with an FBI investigation of one of their gangs within their ranks – The Banditos. LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is said to be a member. Centro CSO, along with a coalition named Check the Sheriffs, have been busy building momentum to “Boot the Bandito – Alex Villanueva.”

Centro CSO and families have raised calls for the prosecution of these killer cops. An upcoming town hall on March 27 at 12 noon Pacific Time will have families speak out to denounce the killing of their loved ones. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis will attend the town hall. If you wish to attend, contact Centro CSO at 323-943-2030 or @CentroCSO on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

#EastLosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #EastLASheriffsDepartment #DavidOrdazJr