A suspect has been arrested following the fatal shooting of a Catholic bishop in Los Angeles.
Bishop David O’Connell, 69, was found with a gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday (February 18), shortly before 1pm in Hacienda Heights.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna has now identified the suspect as Carlos Medina, 65, from Torrance.
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Speaking at a news conference, Luna said Medina is the husband of the late bishop’s housekeeper - the housekeeper has not been identified and is not implicated in the crime.
Luna said numerous people had called in with tips about Medina following the shooting, with one person saying they had become ‘concerned because Medina was acting strange, irrationally, and making comments about the bishop owing him money’.
After receiving a tip-off that Medina was back in his home on Monday (February 20), cops headed out to the residence to arrest him but ended up becoming embroiled in a stand-off.
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Deputies from the Special Enforcement Bureau had ordered Medina to leave his property, but he was refused to do so for an unspecified amount of time.
However, he later surrendered and was arrested.
A search of his home revealed two guns and other evidence that could link Median to the crime, Luna said.
O’Connell, who was known as Bishop Dave, was born in Ireland but had lived in LA for the last 45 years.
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Paying tribute to O'Connell, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles said: “Bishop Dave was a good friend to Los Angeles.
“Out of his love for God, he served this city for more than forty years, as an immigrant from Ireland.
"And I would say that among the many things that I admired in him in his life and ministry was that he was fluent in Spanish with an Irish accent.
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“Every day he worked to show compassion to the poor, to the homeless, to the immigrant, and to all those living on society’s margins.
“He was a good priest and a good bishop, and a man of peace. And we are very sad to lose him.”
He also thanked the police for their hard-work, adding: “I am very grateful to Sheriff Luna and to his investigative team for their hard work in bringing a suspect into custody.
“So on behalf of the entire Catholic community, we want to express our gratitude for the Sheriff’s Office, for their professionalism and sensitivity in what is a sad and painful moment for all of us.”
Claire Reid