The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported on Monday that a man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a Catholic bishop well-known for his work as a community healer.
Around 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, auxiliary bishop David O’Connell was discovered dead in his residence on Saturday. The cause of death is being investigated as a homicide, according to the sheriff’s office.
Shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday, deputies responded to an emergency call and discovered O’Connell, according to deputy Lizette Falcon.
Following an hour-long confrontation with deputies, Carlos Medina, 65, was apprehended at his Torrance, California, home on Monday morning, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
The bishop’s housekeeper’s husband, Medina, had performed some maintenance work on the bishop’s home, according to Luna.
Police began looking into Medina after a tip-off claimed he was acting odd and making remarks about the bishop owing him money, according to Luna. Investigators also discovered that an SUV resembling the one Medina is known to drive recently parked into the bishop’s driveway before speeding away, Luna said.
Luna emphasized that no dispute has yet been resolved and that detectives do not yet know why O’Connell was killed.
The charges Medina was facing were still being put together, Luna said in response to the question.
CNN is attempting to ascertain whether Medina has legal representation.
The wife of Medina has been questioned by investigators and is forthcoming, according to Luna.
Here is a youtube video given about the Alleged gunman arrested for shooting:
Two firearms and “additional evidence likely linking Medina to the crime” were discovered at Medina’s Torrance home, about a 35-mile drive southwest of Hacienda Heights, the sheriff reported. He added that the firearms still need to be investigated to establish if they were used in the murder of the bishop.
When the bishop was running late for a meeting on Saturday, a deacon went to O’Connell’s home to see how he was doing, according to Luna. According to Luna, the deacon informed 911 that O’Connell was not breathing.
According to Luna, there was no proof that the bishop’s home had been broken into forcibly.
O’Connell is mourned by the community and political leaders.
Politicians and members of the Catholic community in Los Angeles paid tribute to O’Connell and voiced shock at his murder.
In a statement announcing O’Connell’s passing on Saturday, Archbishop of Los Angeles José H. Gomez said, “It is a shock and I have no words to describe my regret.”
Gomez stated, “Bishop David was a man of deep prayer and had a great love for Our Our Mother as a priest and afterward as a bishop here in Los Angeles for forty-five years. He had a heart for the underprivileged and immigrants, and he was passionate about creating a community where the integrity and dignity of every human existence were respected and upheld.
He was a close buddy as well, and I will miss him a lot. We will, I’m certain of it. Pray for Bishop Dave and his family in Ireland with me, Gomez pleaded.
The news that his death was being looked into as a homicide upset and saddened Gomez, who on Sunday released another statement.
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O’Connell, 69, was an Irishman from County Cork who received his ordination to the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, according to Angelus, the archdiocese’s official outlet.
O’Connell served areas in southern Los Angeles that were struggling with gang violence and poverty as an assistant pastor. In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, he tried to rebuild trust between the public and the police. Angelus
O’Connell made working with immigrants a primary priority and served as head of the inter-diocesan Southern California immigration task force, which assisted in coordinating the local church’s response to the current wave of Central American migrants, according to Angelus.
Go for the below-embedded tweet:
Bishop O’Connell was a guiding light for so many, and his legacy will continue to live on.
You are not alone in your grief and that @lasdhq is here to support you. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and we are working diligently to seek those responsible for his death. pic.twitter.com/cIBzvzx0km— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) February 19, 2023
In 2019, he remarked on the task committee, “For me, it really is a labor of love since, in my opinion, this is what our schools and parishes are all about. not only for children who are unattended but for all of our kids. Children are increasingly injuring each other, even those who have too much. They believe we have left them behind. And the young migrants have come to represent our entire society.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Janice Hahn stated on Monday the bishop was a longtime friend of hers.
Hahn remarked that “he was known to walk among the people.” He extended a helping hand to homeless people, transients, and members of gangs. He was the aid for the weak and the hope for the despairing, and he understood that to serve God meant to serve people, especially the weakest members of our society.
Catholics in Los Angeles are considering his influence as police look into the fatal shooting.
“I’m heartbroken. Ramona Torres, a parishioner, said, “I’ve been grieving for the last few days knowing that he’s no longer here to share all of his inspiration and prayers and everything with us.
Another parishioner, Gabriela Gil, said, “I’m extremely hurt – very hurt by his departure since he’s one of the most wonderful guys I’ve known.
The sheriff’s office stated on Twitter that “Bishop O’Connell was a guiding light for many many, and his legacy will continue to live on.” “We are actively looking for individuals who are behind his death.”
The information we received about the Arrest made in the shooting death of a Catholic bishop in Los Angeles from CNN.