Los Angeles, CA – In the early morning hours of April 1, East Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed 29-year-old Erik Torres while he was going through a mental health crisis. Although Torres was unarmed and needed help, deputies murdered him.

Local media outlets incorrectly reported that an exchange of gunfire occurred between Torres and deputies, resulting in an hours-long standoff. However, this initial report that Torres was armed, and that an exchange of gunfire occurred with deputies has been proven false.

The case is now being investigated by the California Department of Justice and Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant under California Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), which requires the department to investigate, “all incidents of an officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state,” per the Office of the Attorney General website.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputies have even had to admit this: Eric Torres did not have a gun when he was shot and killed, and there was no “exchange of gunfire.” The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department murdered Erick Torres in cold blood.

In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, members of Centro CSO made contact with the family, who immediately dismissed the narrative being pushed by the media and the department. Torres’ brother made it known that deputies from the Sheriff's Department had routinely responded to calls at the Torres residence, and were aware of his brother’s mental health struggles. The night of the incident, the family made it known to deputies that Torres was unarmed, but deputies disregarded this information and killed him anyway.

Chicanos on the Eastside know all too well that the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station – home of the Banditos gang – is infamous for officers’ aggressive, violent behavior and long history of killing young Chicano men. Deputies out of the East LA Station have killed those experiencing mental health crises in the past, instead of getting them the help they deserve.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #EastLA #InjusticeSystem #LASD #OppressedNationalities #Featured

East Los Angeles, CA – On March 23, 50 people gathered at the East LA Sheriff Station to demand justice for David Ordaz Jr. and commemorate his three-year angelversary. On March 14, 2021, Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies killed Ordaz outside his family home after his family called 911 to request support for him while he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

One deputy, Remin Pineda, is facing two charges related to the killing – assault with a semiautomatic firearm and assault under color of authority. The three other deputies involved – Edwin Navarette, Jaime Moreno and Nathaniel Trujillo – were cleared and continue to patrol East LA.

Organized by the Ordaz family with the support of Centro CSO, the event united community supporters and impacted families who came out in the rain to remember Ordaz Jr. and demand sheriff accountability.

“We want to be able to decide what happens to killer cops,” said Sol Marquez of Centro CSO, who helped facilitate the event. “That is why we demand community control.”

The surviving families of Adrian Rios, Anthony Vargas and Frederick Holder – all victims of LASD – as well as those of Cesar Rodriguez and Alex Flores shared their condolences and solidarity with the Ordaz family. The speakers denounced the sheriff's department for murdering people with impunity and being the home to deputy gangs that terrorize Black and Chicano communities.

Stephanie Luna, the aunt of Anthony Daniel Vargas, who was killed by Banditos from the East LA station in 2018, explained, “Sheriff’s deputies go to your home and harass you. They go after families who speak out. Where do you go when cops are after you? We’ve been fighting for six years. This is a fight we are going to be in for the rest of our life.”

After speeches from impacted families, the crowd broke through a layer of caution tape and walked closer to the Sheriff’s Station where three squad cars and multiple Sheriff Deputies were blocking the entrance. The Sheriffs announced an unlawful assembly and threatened arrests with children present.

Chants of “Who killed David? LASD!” and “What does killer cops mean? We got to fight back!” rang loud around the park through the rain.

Speakers pointed out how LASD’s heavy response to a peaceful protest demonstrated the department’s priorities and its waste of public resources. Since their loved one’s death, the Ordaz family has continuously called attention to the need to better fund mental health support rather than law enforcement.

In October 2023, Deputy Pineda was set to accept a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail time for his killing of Ordaz Jr. After hearing the passionate explanations from the Ordaz family about the impact of Ordaz Jr.’s murder, Judge Michael Pastor rejected the deal as being too lenient. In the coming months, Deputy Pineda will return to court with the possibility of being sentenced to jail.

#LosAngelesCA #EastLA #JusticeForDavidOrdazJr #JailKillerCops #LASD #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – The family of Alejandro Hernandez, community members and other impacted families protested outside of the East Los Angeles sheriff’s station, Saturday, November 25. All were demanding justice for the 34-year-old who was recently brutalized by two sheriff deputies during an arrest.

Hernandez, an amputee with a long history of being harassed by Los Angles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), was washing his car when he was attacked by the two sheriff deputies. In a video recorded of the altercation, one deputy is choking Hernandez out while his partner repeatedly punches Hernandez in the face. Hernandez had his arms out and was not resisting the arrest.

The officer who repeatedly punched Hernandez has been identified as Deputy Jesse Corona, who is known within East LA for brutalizing and harassing young Chicanos and provoking confrontations.

Gabriela Ortega, Hernandez’s mother, said, “Let our voices be our weapons, let our unity and protest be our ammunition. And let our consistency be the goal to the finish line in ending police brutality and relieving these deputies of their duties!”

Christian Contreras, Hernandez’s attorney who organized the action, said, “Curated chokeholds, which one of the deputies was using while the other punched Hernandez in the face, are outlawed in the state of California.”

Gabriel Quiroz, a leader of Centro CSO, highlighted the need to organize, stating, “We see it over and over again that Chicano men are targeted by the police in the streets.” Quiroz also called attention to the existence of the Banditos within the East LA station and promoted CSO’s petition to eradicate the deputy gangs.

The families of David Ordaz Jr, Anthony Daniel Vargas, Adrian Rios, and Cesar Rodriguez also attended to show their solidarity and demand justice for Hernandez.

Eventually the protesters crossed the yellow tape to show that the line of sheriff’s deputies did not intimidate them. The sheriff’s called an unlawful assembly and gave protestors ten minutes to disperse. While confronting the deputies, protesters realized that Nathaniel Trujillo, one of the killers of David Ordaz Jr., was among those monitoring protestors. His appearance at the protest was a clear attempt to provoke the Ordazes as well as other impacted families.

The action concluded with a march through East LA to inform the community of LASD’s crimes against Hernandez.

#LosAngelesCA #EastLA #InjusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #Feature