Officer Emily Morgenroth, 26, of the Sacramento Police Department, was responding to the assistance of other officers who were on a felony vehicle-stop, when a DUI driver pulled into the path of her patrol car. Officer Morgenroth had been an officer for 2 years. Rest in peace Emily.

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Investigators say the blood alcohol level of the driver of the pickup involved in a collision that killed a Sacramento police officer Friday night in North Sacramento was more than double the legal limit.

Chris Brown, 33, of North Sacramento, who is recovering at UC Davis Medical Center from shoulder injuries from the crash, has been charged with drunken driving and could face vehicular manslaughter charges in connection with the death of 26-year-old Officer Emily Morgenroth, authorities say.

Brown’s blood alcohol content was reported at 0.17, more than twice the 0.08 legal limit in California.

Morgenroth’s death is the first within the Sacramento Police Department since April 25, 1991 when Officer Michael Gartrell, 37, died after his patrol car smashed into a concrete abutment at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Highway 99 during a pursuit of a suspected drunken driver.

The wreck occurred on Marysville Boulevard just before 10 p.m. Friday when Morgenroth’s patrol car broadsided the pickup driven by Brown.

She was responding northbound on Marysville Boulevard to a report of a stolen vehicle, but was not pursuing the vehicle itself, when her patrol car struck Brown’s truck as he made a left turn into the Bill’s Liquors parking lot just before the Del Paso Boulevard intersection, authorities say.

On impact, the truck, which had been southbound on Marysville, was caught under the patrol car push bumper and thrown into the air, landing between the store and a utility pole, the California Highway Patrol said. There were scrape marks 10 feet high on the wall.

The patrol car then struck a utility pole and spun out. Morgenroth’s air bag opened, but the CHP was trying to determine whether she was wearing her seat belt. Brown’s wife, Tammy, 23, who was a passenger in the truck, has a broken collarbone, ribs, pelvis and a punctured lung and is also recovering at UC Davis Medical Center.

For Morgenroth’s parents in Pleasanton, the news brought by police of their daughter’s death was a shock.

“Honestly, when they first came into the house, I didn’t see the chaplain,” her mother, Mary, said Saturday. “I just saw the police. When they said, ‘Your daughter’s dead,’ you’re stunned . . . At moments you want to scream and cry, at other moments, you feel numb.”

Her daughter went into police work as a way to get into the FBI. She graduated from the police academy two years ago, and her time in Sacramento was meant to improve her “street smarts.”

She graduated from Amador High in Pleasanton, and UCLA with a degree in political science. She studied Japanese and German in college, and spent two years in Japan teaching English before coming home three years ago, her father, Jerry, said.

There were several thousand officers and civilians in attendance at her funeral service which was held Thursday October 23. She was buried in Pleasanton the following Friday. She is the first female officer killed in the line of duty in Sacramento County history. She will be missed very much. She was very special to the entire department.

The family requests any donation be sent to:
People’s Ethical Treatment of Animals
P.O. Box 96684
Washington D.C. 20077-7538

Tears flowed among the honor guards lining the outskirts of the Skyrose Chapel at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier.

More than 500 mourners stood solemnly during a service for Officer Paul B. Beridon, 51, a Chino Hills resident who was a state prison guard for 25 years. He died September 11, 1997 in a traffic accident along with Officer Mylene G. Zalar, 36.

“He was a caring individual who took the time to teach others,” said Lt. Tom J. Padilla, who worked with Beridon at the California Institution for Men in Chino.

As honor guards stood by, colleagues said Beridon had been a calm, confident member of the staff at CIM, where he began working as a corrections officer in 1972.

Beridon and Zalar died instantly in a traffic accident on September 11. Beridon, Zalar, and fellow guard Louis Ordaz, 48 were on their way to the Sierra Conservation Center near Modesto to pick up and transport new prisoners when a truck swerved and struck their car, said Lt. Kevin Peters of CIM. Officer Ordaz received severe injuries and was treated at a Modesto hospital.

“It’s devastating any time we lose anybody… especially in an accident like this one,” Peters said.

Along with his duties as a transportation officer, Beridon also served on the Special Emergency Response Team at CIM, which responds to emergency situations at the prison.

“Everything he did was above and beyond,” said assistant SERT commander Fred Faulk.

Larry Witek, the warden at CIM, said Beridon set the example for the institution’s staff.

“He was professional and respectful to all people,” he said. “He really represented what peace officers should be.”

During the 90-minute-long service, the chapel was packed with officers from the Department of Corrections, California Highway Patrol, Huntington Park Police Department, Chino Police Department, the California Youth Authority and the Anaheim Police Department.

Beridon is survived by his wife of 28 years, Mary; daughter, Yvette; son, Shawn; son-in-law, Steve Polly; and granddaughters, Alexa Beridon and Brianna Polley.

Officer Zalar began her career at CIM in 1990. She worked at California State Prison, Calipatria and returned to CIM before transferring to the transportation unit in 1993. Fellow officers say she was known for her grit and determination. She recently turned down a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stay with the Department of Corrections.

A memorial service for Ofc. Mylene was held at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Riverside on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Several of her coworkers presented a tribute to her at the Interment Service held at the Olivewood Cemetery following the service. The presenters included: David Tristan, deputy director – Institutions Division; Tom Goughnour, chief of the Transportation Unit; Capt. Mike Evans, Southern Transportation Hub; and Lt. Chacon, CIM Honor Guard.

Zalar, who was born in Berlin, Germany, began her career at CIM in 1990. She worked at California State Prison, Calipatria and returned to CIM before transferring to the Transportation Unit in 1993. Fellow officers say she was known for her grit and determination.

Zalar recently turned down a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stay with the Department of Corrections. She especially enjoyed her coveted assignment with the Transportation Unit.

Zalar was a 1980 graduate of John W. North High School in Riverside. She went on to further her education at Riverside Community College where she graduated with honors in 1982. Her educational ambition and hard work ethic earned her a biochemistry degree from the University of California, Riverside while also working for the Press-Enterprise newspaper. In 1983 she earned a Service Award from the newspaper. From 1986 to 1989 she was a lab tech. Specialist in genetics at UCR.

Zalar is survived by her mother, Annalore Zalar Keyes; step-father, Robert J. Keyes; brother, Joseph Zalar; sister-in-law, Daniela; step-brother, Robert Keyes; step-sister, Klaudia Dell; and special niece, Jennifer Zalar.

Tears flowed among the honor guards lining the outskirts of the Skyrose Chapel at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier.

More than 500 mourners stood solemnly during a service for Officer Paul B. Beridon, 51, a Chino Hills resident who was a state prison guard for 25 years. He died September 11, 1997 in a traffic accident along with Officer Mylene G. Zalar, 36.

“He was a caring individual who took the time to teach others,” said Lt. Tom J. Padilla, who worked with Beridon at the California Institution for Men in Chino.

As honor guards stood by, colleagues said Beridon had been a calm, confident member of the staff at CIM, where he began working as a corrections officer in 1972.

Beridon and Zalar died instantly in a traffic accident on September 11. Beridon, Zalar, and fellow guard Louis Ordaz, 48 were on their way to the Sierra Conservation Center near Modesto to pick up and transport new prisoners when a truck swerved and struck their car, said Lt. Kevin Peters of CIM. Officer Ordaz received severe injuries and was treated at a Modesto hospital.

“It’s devastating any time we lose anybody… especially in an accident like this one,” Peters said.

Along with his duties as a transportation officer, Beridon also served on the Special Emergency Response Team at CIM, which responds to emergency situations at the prison.

“Everything he did was above and beyond,” said assistant SERT commander Fred Faulk.

Larry Witek, the warden at CIM, said Beridon set the example for the institution’s staff.

“He was professional and respectful to all people,” he said. “He really represented what peace officers should be.”

During the 90-minute-long service, the chapel was packed with officers from the Department of Corrections, California Highway Patrol, Huntington Park Police Department, Chino Police Department, the California Youth Authority and the Anaheim Police Department.

Beridon is survived by his wife of 28 years, Mary; daughter, Yvette; son, Shawn; son-in-law, Steve Polly; and granddaughters, Alexa Beridon and Brianna Polley.

Officer Zalar began her career at CIM in 1990. She worked at California State Prison, Calipatria and returned to CIM before transferring to the transportation unit in 1993. Fellow officers say she was known for her grit and determination. She recently turned down a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stay with the Department of Corrections.

A memorial service for Ofc. Mylene was held at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Riverside on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Several of her coworkers presented a tribute to her at the Interment Service held at the Olivewood Cemetery following the service. The presenters included: David Tristan, deputy director – Institutions Division; Tom Goughnour, chief of the Transportation Unit; Capt. Mike Evans, Southern Transportation Hub; and Lt. Chacon, CIM Honor Guard.

Zalar, who was born in Berlin, Germany, began her career at CIM in 1990. She worked at California State Prison, Calipatria and returned to CIM before transferring to the Transportation Unit in 1993. Fellow officers say she was known for her grit and determination.

Zalar recently turned down a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stay with the Department of Corrections. She especially enjoyed her coveted assignment with the Transportation Unit.

Zalar was a 1980 graduate of John W. North High School in Riverside. She went on to further her education at Riverside Community College where she graduated with honors in 1982. Her educational ambition and hard work ethic earned her a biochemistry degree from the University of California, Riverside while also working for the Press-Enterprise newspaper. In 1983 she earned a Service Award from the newspaper. From 1986 to 1989 she was a lab tech. Specialist in genetics at UCR.

Zalar is survived by her mother, Annalore Zalar Keyes; step-father, Robert J. Keyes; brother, Joseph Zalar; sister-in-law, Daniela; step-brother, Robert Keyes; step-sister, Klaudia Dell; and special niece, Jennifer Zalar.

A 27-year-old Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy described as a “hard worker with a bright future” died while on duty Monday morning (September 8, 1997) in a single car accident near Reedley California.

Jeffery Sean Isaac was heading back to the Reedley substation just before 1 a.m. to refuel his patrol car. His vehicle veered to the center of Manning Avenue near Lac Joe Avenue, hit a bridge guardrail, swerved back and flipped over, Sheriff Steve Magarian said.

The cause of Isaac’s accident was unknown Monday pending a California Highway Patrol investigation.

“At this point, we don’t what happened. There were no witnesses,” Magarian said.

Magarian said it was unclear which direction Isaac was traveling. But, he said, “he had just radioed in a couple minutes before the accident, saying he was on his way in after answering a call for service in Del Rey” northwest of Reedley.

A few minutes after that, authorities were alerted to the accident by a passing motorist, Magarian said.

Isaac was pinned in his car and had to be removed by emergency crews. He suffered major chest injuries and was flown to University Medical Center by helicopter, Magarian said. Once there, Isaac underwent surgery as Magarian waited at the hospital with the deputies family.

“He was doing well, then his heart stopped,” Magarian said. “They performed CPR on him, but we lost him in surgery at about 5 a.m.”

Deputy Isaac leaves a wife and two children, ages 7 and 2.

Trust Fund:
Fresno DSA
1145 West Hedges Ave. Fresno, CA 93728

Three thousand people attended a tearful funeral service Thursday August 21, for Los Angeles County Deputy Shayne D. York who shot simply because be carried a badge. York, 26, who was shot in the back of the head execution style during a takeover robbery at a Buena Park hair salon Thursday Aug. 14, was eulogized as a hero by Gov. Pete Wilson, sheriff Sherman Block and 24-year-old Sheriff’s Deputy Jennifer Parish, York’s fiancee.

“My memory and love for Shayne will now carry me through this time of sorrow,” said Parish, who was with York at the time of the shooting. “I know that one day Shayne and I will be together again. Then, I will be able to fill the empty place in my heart.”

Wilson blasted York’s accused assailants – identified as two members of a faction of the Crips Street gang – as cowards. He told the mourners, who Packed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Torrance, “Those who kill an unarmed man, a defenseless man offering them no harm, no threat, are simply vicious and viciousness is cowardice.”

“Even in the moment that his life was cut short, Shayne York prevailed,” Gov. Wilson stated. “The cowards did not win. Courage wins, but the pain they’ve caused is unmistakable.”

York was shot when he and his fiancee – both off-duty and unarmed – were at the De’Cut salon in Buena Park when two gunmen stormed in about 9 p.m. While going through York’s wallet, the gunmen found his badge and ordered him to lay face down on the floor, authorities said.

Even though York was polite and posed no threat, one of the robbers shot him in the back of the head, according to police. Although Parish also had her sheriff’s identification, her life was spared, apparently because she was a woman. York was rushed to the Western Medical Center in Santa Ana where he died.

The suspects were arrested several hours later after a witness gave police a good description of the getaway car following a second holdup at a pizza restaurant in Fullerton. Two parolees from state prison were arrested and charged with the shooting. Both Andre Willis, 30, and Kevin Boyce, 27, who is accused of firing the fatal shot, had been serving time on robbery and weapons convictions.

The men are charged with two special circumstances that could result in a death penalty – murder during a robbery and murdering during a burglary. Boyce is also charged with murdering a peace officer who was in the course of doing his duty.

Law enforcement officers from across the state attended the emotional service which served as a bitter reminder that even while off duty, their lives are at risk because of their profession.

Sheriff Block stated, “Never in the 40-plus years I’ve been in law enforcement have I seen this kind of cold-blooded violence directed at a sheriff’s deputy. This was a classic hate crime.” The ashen faced Block said the shooting had badly rattled his vast agency.

York and Parish were both relatively new to the force, in uniform just two years. They met while working together at the Sheriff’s Pitchess Detention Center – East Facility in Castaic and planned to be married in June.

The couple shared one strong bond – both were raised in households where their fathers wore the Los Angeles county Sheriff’s uniform. York’s father retired after 19 years on the force, while Parish’s father is a Lakewood deputy, among the departments 9,000 sworn officers.

Since was eight-years-old, York wanted to be a deputy,” Block said. “Not just a police officer, but a deputy, just like his father.” Concluding his statements, the sheriff said, “Shayne, you died a hero. Rest in peace.”

More than 150 law enforcement units formed a motorcade which followed the hearse carrying York’s body to the Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. Along the route, residents came out of their homes and businesses to watch. Some people waved American flags; other stood silently with their hands placed over their hearts.

Seven Sheriff’s jail buses usually used to transport inmates brought hundreds of sheriff’s deputies, who worked with York as guards at Pitchess East, to his funeral.

York’s family said they were touched by the outpouring of emotion. Brandon York, 24, said he looked up to his older brother. He said he had always considered Shayne is best friend.

“One of my proudest moments was when Shayne called me to tell me he had asked Parish to marry him and that he wanted me to be his best man,” he said. “I used to tell him that since he was born first that he was just a rough draft and that I was the final copy because I was always trying to be just like him.”

Friends and co-workers described York as an amiable man who was always willing to lend a helping hand. Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Villanueva, who attended the Sheriff’s Academy with York two years ago, said, “He was a real good guy all the way around and I’ll always remember his smile.”

During their time at the academy, some recruits buckled under pressure, but not York. His classmates recalled him always keeping his cool and making the right decisions.

Arthur Thomas said the confidence and positive attitude he showed earned York the nickname “Stealth.” Thomas, who last saw York during a January training seminar, said, “When they say he led by example, he did.”

Deputy Matthew Seier said York’s death was particularly difficult for him and many of his classmates because York was the first graduate from their 89-member class to die in the line-of-duty.

At the jail where York was assigned, he worked as a “prowler,” patrolling in a dormitory in the maximum security section. The tall, well-built deputy was known for keeping calm despite his stressful job.

“He was one of those quiet strong people,” said Michelle Burke, 26, of Anaheim, who said she and York were both reared in the tight-knit community of Frazier Park, just over the Las Angeles County line in Kern County, near Gorman. “He was always there for you. He was a friend to all of us.”

Burke recalled York’s youthful passion for basketball and growing interest in law enforcement while a student at Maricopa High School. “He had no enemies,” she said.

Another longtime friend, Andrea Sramek, 26, of Laguna Hills, said York was “a great leader at everything he did. A lot of parents used Shayne as an example for their children, the kind of person to follow,” Sramek said.

Buena Park Mayor Art Brown said, “It was a cowardly act by cowardly people who shot a person only because he carried a badge of honor to protect the people.”

York is also survived by his mother, Patti Steele, of Colorado; his father, Daniel York, of Atascadero.

One of the two murderers of Deputy Shane York was convicted August 23, 2000 of first-degree murder with special circumstances, which makes him eligible for the death penalty. The trial continued on August 28 for the penalty phase. The killer was given the sentence of the death penalty.

On March 22, 2001, an Orange County jury convicted the second suspect in the Shayne York murder. Andre Willis was sentenced to life. The jury refused to convict him of special circumstances. The shooter, Kevin Boyce, was already convicted and sentenced to death in a previous trial last year.

Trust Fund:
Sheriff’s Relief Fund
Fund Number 430
11515 South Colima Road
Whittier, CA 90604

For the second time in three weeks, officers from the Indio station of the California Highway Patrol buried one of their own. More than 1,000 mourners, including the family of officer Saul Martinez, who died May 15 after being struck by a car near Desert Hot Springs, filled St. Catherine’s Catholic Church to honor the memory of officer Daniel James Muehlhausen.

Muehlhausen, 30, was killed Sunday, June 1, in a head-on collision when a pickup truck driven by an Oceanside man crossed the double-yellow line on a narrow stretch of Highway 62 north of Desert Center.

Muehlhausen died about 11 a.m. as he was responding to assist a motorist whose car had become disabled. According to the CA Highway Patrol, a Toyota truck crossed over the double-yellow line and slammed into his cruiser, causing both vehicles to burst into flames. The driver of the pickup, 20-year-old Seth Harris of Oceanside, and his passenger, 17-year-old Larry Kern Jr. of Carlsbad, were also killed.

CHP accident investigators said the truck was one of four vehicles traveling home to the Oceanside area after spending a weekend at a mini-truck show on the California side of Lake Havasu. Investigators are attempting to determine whether the Toyota’s hydraulics and excessive speed contributed to the fire that burned all three bodies beyond recognition.

The CHP’s Indio office closed for the day so all 75 patrol officers, clerks and dispatchers could attend the services. Surrounding stations covered patrols and dispatches. “The entire squad is numb,” said Capt. John J. Benoit, the Indio commander.

Benoit recalled Muehlhausen’s gentle spirit, eagerness and enthusiasm. “Dan was a source of brightness and light,” he said. The commander told the Indio staff members he was proud they have carried on with their duties, despite overwhelming grief and pain from the loss of two coworkers. Many wept when he said, “Dan, say hello to Saul for us.”

Muehlhausen’s colleagues said he was a California Highway Patrol officer who stopped his patrol car to herd dogs away from traffic and always rescued motorists in distress. “He epitomized what the California Highway Patrol was all about,” CHP Commissioner Dwight Helmick said. “When helping someone he was at his happiest.”

“Our hearts are heavy,” Officer Larry Cuslidge said. “The healing process is slow to begin.” Muehlhausen’s casket was carried inside the church by white-gloved CHP officers in dress uniform. Officer Dan Morrison walked in front, carrying the slain officer’s hat. During the morning service, uniformed officers, family members and childhood friends broke into tears as the Rev. Tom Burdick attempted to ease the pain of Muehlhausen’s death.

“Dan was a straight arrow. He was someone who could stand up for what’s right in a world that so often goes wrong,” Burdick said. “He was the kind of man you wanted to introduce your sister to.”

Fellow officers remembered him as a smart, dedicated patrolman who loved helping motorists.

“He always wanted to be a CHP officer and loved assisting people,” said Officer Doug Myers, who roomed with Muehlhausen at the academy. “He used to help me with my homework at the academy, and I used to wonder about how easy it was for him. I’d burn the midnight oil, and he’d be asleep by 8 p.m.” Myers told how he became close friends with Muehlhausen when they trained together. They shared friendly rivalry that continued in Indio, where both began their CHP careers. “What I admired most about Dan was how he treated others,” Myers said with calm and genuine concern.

Muehlhausen, who was single and lived in a mobile home park next door to his parents in Perris, graduated from the CHP Academy in April 1995. Before entering, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and law-and-society from the University of California, Riverside. He entered the California Highway Patrol Academy in October 1994 and was assigned to the Indio station in April 1995.

“I’m sorry he could not serve longer,” said his father Ernest after the service, as he held his son’s badge. It’s going to take a long time to heal. We think of you every night, son, and miss you so much.”

After the 90-minute church service, Muehlhausen’s family and friends were escorted to Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside by hundreds of law enforcement cruisers and motorcycles. All along the seven-mile-route, people stood silently on sidewalks, in parking lots and on apartment balconies, watching the motorcade pass. Car mechanics laid down their tools. A cook stood outside a fast-food restaurant. Students lined a sidewalk outside Norte Vista High School.

At the cemetery, 32 U.S. flags encircled the graveside. Bagpiper Jim Gentry played “Amazing Grace” as officers carried the coffin. CHP officers and family members laid carnations, roses and Muehlhausen’s CHP dress hat atop the gray coffin with the CHP insignia.

Commissioner Dwight “Spike” Helmick gave a framed state flag to Muehlhausen’s parents and St. Catherine’s pastor Tom Burdick presented them with a cross from the funeral procession. A CHP rifle team fired a salute as four CHP airplanes and three CHP helicopters flew overhead in a missing man” formation. “It’s going to take time to recover,” said Dan’s brother David, 36. “The support we received from this tragedy has shown me that there are so many good people in this world, even though we tend to think it’s bad – but it’s not. For me, it’s time to take care of my parents because that’s what Dan would want.”

Muehlhausen’s family said that all he’d ever wanted to be was a cop. As an 8-year-old, Muehlhausen pretended to be a motorcycle officer while riding his mini-bike, David Muehlhausen said. “He’s always been interested in law enforcement because he really thought he could make the world a safer place to live,” David stated. “He was the logical one in the family and always was able to make sense of things and reason them out.”

Muehlhausen said his brother prepared to be a law enforcement officer for most of his life – beginning after graduation from Notre Dame High School in Riverside and the University of California, Riverside.

Muehlhausen’s mother Elaine struggled to put the day into words. “We are having a tough time, and I don’t know what else to say,” she said. “I feel in my heart… he was a special son.”

As one of the wounded officers who tried to save him looked on, Glendale Police, Investigator Charles “Chuck” Lazzaretto was remembered on June 2 as the best his department had to offer, a man who would have become chief had he not been ambushed by a gunman.

More than 2,000 people, including peace officers from across California, attended services for Lazzaretto who was shot to death in an ambush on May 27 in a Chatsworth warehouse while investigating a domestic violence case.

Glendale Police Chief James E. Anthony said “He was… the essence of what a police officer is supposed to be.”

The memorial followed a private Mass earlier in the day in which Cardinal Roger M. Mahony comforted Lazzaretto’s widow, Annamaria, a part-time dispatcher whom he met on the job.

Present for the church service were LAPD officers Kevin Foster, 24, and Jude Bella, 26, who were shot while trying to rescue Lazzaretto. Bella, who was shot five times, was transported to the private ceremony in an ambulance and then whisked back to the hospital. Foster, who was shot in the arm, attended both the Mass at Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale and the memorial service at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills.

Lazzaretto’s death has been felt deeply in the small Police Department in which he worked and among residents in Glendale, which has not seen an officer slain since 1915. Tightly clutching the hand of Lazzaretto’s mother, Nan, Annamaria Lazzaretto took several deep breaths as she watched the casket taken in to the Liberty Court at Forest Lawn. As she waited, she variously sobbed and smiled at the police officers who came to comfort her.

Lazzaretto and his partner, Investigator Art Frank, had gone to a Chatsworth warehouse looking for suspect Israel Chapa Gonzalez, 28. Gonzalez was suspected of seriously beating his 25-year-old girlfriend Mischell Bowen and shooting her with a stun gun.

A warehouse employee told the two officers that Gonzalez wasn’t there, so they asked for permission to walk through the building to learn the layout in case they had to return. A few paces into the warehouse, Gonzalez, who was hiding in the dark with a gun, ambushed them. Lazzaretto was shot several times and is believed to have died from his injuries almost immediately. Foster and Bella, called to the scene as backups, were wounded by gunfire when they tried to go in to rescue Lazzaretto.

After a two-hour standoff, Gonzalez put his gun in his mouth and committed suicide, reported a coroner’s office representative. Glendale police, who swarmed to the scene, described Lazzaretto as an easygoing, well-liked officer who was very popular among the 229 members of the Glendale police force.

The father of two sons, Andrew and Matthew, ages 3 and 2, he was the son-in-law of a well-respected former LAPD commander and current assistant chief of the USC Department of Public Safety, Bob Taylor. “As you can imagine, we are in a state of shock,” said Chief Anthony. He was a very popular officer… a positive guy, you could always count on him to be there. Even as a young reserve officer, young cadets looked to him for leadership and guidance.”

LAPD Capt. Richard Wemmber said “This morning we had the most devastating thing that can ever happen, that is to have an officer lose his life. Nothing is ever more traumatic for us than to see someone giving their life… especially someone who dies at the hands of a violent criminal.”

Struck in the head, Lazzaretto lay still for nearly two hours as backup officers struggled to get near him but were driven back by more gunfire. Lazzaretto’s partner was willing to do whatever he could do, he was ready to throw on a vest and go back in there,” said Glendale Sgt. Rick Young. “He couldn’t see him or hear him… he kept calling for him and asking for him, but he got no response. Frank, Lazzaretto’s partner, spoke at the memorial. “Chuck’s death has made me realize how fragile life is. It can change at any moment,” he said. Speaking between long pauses to collect himself, Frank said one of Lazzaretto’s last acts was to call his wife, Annamaria, and tell her he would be home late. Frank recalled that Lazzaretto told his wife he loved her before hanging up the phone.

As the pair drove to Chatsworth in search of Gonzalez, he said Lazzaretto jokingly laid out plans for covering his front yard with asphalt so he would never have to do yard work a bit of whimsy typical of the his high spirits, both on and off duty. “He taught us, no matter how low you feel, the world is still full of good people,” Frank said.

Other colleagues remembered him for his courtesy, his sense of humor, and his deep commitment to his family. “Chuck made it seem so simple but it was really very complex,” said Glendale Officer David Buckley, a former partner. He was known as a sharp and dedicated officer who was often commended by judges and prosecutors for his meticulous work. His doggedness, said Chief Anthony, was clear in his pursuit of Gonzalez in the Chatsworth warehouse. “He worked everything as if it was the big case,” said Officer Roger Johnstone.

Lazzaretto also dazzled colleagues with the breadth of his interests outside work: He scuba-dived in Fiji, golfed, flew model planes, played softball, hunted, fished, ran marathons, played soccer with his brothers and was a whiz with computers. “Your typical Mr. Gadget guy,” Johnstone said. “He had a knack for figuring things out.”

In recent years, Lazzaretto had taken up long-distance running, completing a marathon in Washington, D.C., recently with his father, former Burbank City Manager Andrew Lazzaretto.

Lazzaretto joined the Glendale Police Department 10 years ago, spending two years as a reserve officer before going full time.

An arson investigator for much of his career, he had recently been named to the robbery/homicide unit, a transfer colleagues said he was thrilled about. Being a police officer was Lazzaretto’s dream since boyhood, said Dominic Lazzaretto, 25, of Glendale, one of the officer’s three younger brothers. “He was always the law and order brother. I’m not sure why,” he said, adding that Charles was the first in the family to go into law enforcement. Dominic Lazzaretto said the family never talked to Charles about the dangers of his job. “It was always in the back of everyone’s mind. But we always supported him 100 percent. He loved his work. He loved doing it.”

Chief Anthony recalled how a crime victim who had been interviewed by Lazzaretto later called to say he had treated her “like a close friend.” “In time, he would certainly have had my job,” the chief said.

A trust fund has been established for Lazzaretto’s family. Checks should be mailed to: “Charles Lazzaretto Fund” c/o the Glendale Police Officers Association, P.O. Box 245, Glendale, CA 91209.

Joining a host of mourners, hundreds of peace officers from far and near converged on Oroville Friday, May 30, to bid farewell to one of their own.

Deputy Randy Jennings, who was slain in a domestic violence altercation May 21, was laid to rest in the Oroville Cemetery to the wail of bagpipes tolling “Going Home” while a V-shaped flight of helicopters in missing pilot formation whirled past.

Jennings, 38, was fatally shot in a gunfight in which Pao Xiong, 34, of Oroville was also killed.

The deputy was chasing Xiong across a field when the latter reportedly shot at him and he returned fire. Butte County Sheriff Mick Grey said officers may never know for certain who fired first. But since all five of Xiong’s shots hit the deputy’s body and only one of the deputy’s 10 shots hit Xiong, the sheriff surmised that Xiong fired first. Two bullets struck Jennings in the neck, just above his bullet-proof vest. Another two were lodged in the vest and the fifth went through the deputy’s right wrist, piercing his watch, Sheriff Grey reported.

Jennings, who opened fire with a 9 mm handgun, shot Xiong in the torso. Before he collapsed, the deputy called dispatchers to let them know he had been wounded.

“Deputy Jennings calmly put out a call on his radio that he’d been shot and needed an ambulance,” Sheriff Grey said. “Those were his last words.”

He died about two hours later at Enloe Hospital in Chico.

Jennings was the first Butte County deputy sheriff to die in the line-of-duty. His death marked the fourth time this year a California law enforcement officer has died in the line-of-duty while helping victims of family violence.

“Randy is the kind of guy everyone liked,” Sheriff Grey said. “We’re all taking it rough.” The deputy’s file is crammed with letters of thanks from the community, and fellow officers said he was beloved.

Hundreds of officers arriving in squad cars, motorcycles and unmarked vehicles began congregating early on May 30 at the Church of the Nazarene where the emotional and dignified services for Jennings was held.

Shoulder patches and vehicle emblems identified departments from dozens of jurisdictions around the state and reportedly from as far as Los Angeles and Washoe County in Nevada.

About an hour before the scheduled services, a team of English shire horses belonging to Nolan Darnell of Corning arrived by truck to be harnessed to his gleaming black and white draft wagon to carry the coffin in a walking procession to Oroville Cemetery about a mile away.

Mourners filled the large church while the overflow crowd of visiting officers waited in ranks outside.

The open, white lined casket with the American flag draped over its lower half reposed below banks of flowers.

Presentation of the colors by two honor guards started the ceremony.

Chaplain Ed Redfern welcomed the mourners and said that the tragedy of Jennings’ death should serve to unify the community. “There’s enough in this community that will fracture and divide us, keep us all in little pockets,” he said. “It’s important to remember that this is a community.”

Earlier in the week, Thai Vang, president of the Laotian Vets in Northern California, issued a statement expressing the Oroville Hmong community’s sorrow and deep hurt over Jennings’ death.

They described him as a “brave and very helpful officer who helped save people’s lives in the community” who was killed by a “domestic violence abuser.” “It is something that effects the whole community,” Redfern said. “We will not recover soon, but we will recover. We find ourselves at this point deeply needing your hands, your heart. Thanks for the police, for their commitment, for risking their lives.”

Christine Lydon said officers know they are at risk, and that their spouses and family members have to live with that knowledge. She sang a song, repeated later by Kelly Furlong, declaring wistfully: “You’ll never know you are my hero. You are the wind beneath my wings, everything I wish that I could be.”

Lee Wood, an associate pastor, in a personal eulogy, described Jennings as a caring and sensitive human being, who really loved to help others while enjoying a full and active life.

Sheriff Grey said Jennings exemplifies the term professional. “He loved the department and we loved him.” In addition to being a “friendly and professional officer,” Jennings was a loving husband and a father, Sheriff Grey stated. He stated that Jennings was being awarded the department’s highest award, the Medal of Valor. Jennings’ friend and supervisor, Sgt. Keith Knotek, posthumously nominated him for the award which was presented to Jennings’ widow, Terry, at the funeral by Sheriff Grey.

He had also been named the Officer of the Year by the Oroville Rotary Club in 1996. Knotek, who was with Jennings in the foot pursuit of the suspect, stated that he didn’t see a weapon. After Xiong shot Jennings, he was able to return fire; killing him. Knotek was unable to return fire because Jennings was directly in front of him, between him and the suspect. He believes that Jennings saved his life. Knotek stated “Randy is and always will be my hero!”

Poems in tribute to Jennings were read by Knotek and retired police detective Hatley. Hatley said Jennings’ loved exciting sports such as motorcycle racing, scuba diving, and flying, and his love for dogs, inspired him to write the poem as a tribute to the officer’s celebration of life.

Jennings was a nine-year veteran of the Butte County Sheriff’s Department. His assignments included Corrections, Courts, Civil, Patrol, Special Enforcement Unit, and the Special Incident Response Team. He was a member of the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit and a skilled gunman.

The mile-long procession followed the wagon with the draped casket drawn by the stately, cream colored draft horses with tasseled hoofs to the cemetery. It was followed by the Special Incident Response Team, honor guard, unmounted horse of the Butte County Sheriff’s Posse, members of Jennings’ family, and numerous uniformed officers and mourners. As it neared the grave beneath a huge sycamore tree strummed by gusts of wind, the procession was preceded by bagpipe strains of “Going Home.”

Jennings is survived by his wife, Terry, his teenage stepson, Danny, his mother, Carleen, and brother, Allen, who is a correctional officer with the Butte County Sheriff’s Department. Mrs. Jennings, an Oroville police officer, was off duty the night of her husband’s death. She had stayed home to celebrate her birthday.

A fund has been established for the benefit of Jennings’ wife and son. Donations can be made to the Randy Jennings Memorial Fund, Butte Community Bank, 2227 Myers Street, Oroville, CA 95965.

I’ll be honored to have Randy’s name added to the Memorial…while I wish with all my heart it was never an option. My heart is broken, but the memory of all that Randy was to me and to those whose lives he touched is a comfort. I don’t know how much information is included in the memorial, but I know Randy would want people to know that his ultimate goal in life was to someday have a place with God in His world.

Randy was a good man, and lived a good life in his effort to meet that goal. That knowledge, together with the faith Randy inspired in my own life is my daily comfort.

God Bless us all………

Terry Jennings (widow of Dep. Jennings)

 

Do not cry,
as I am here standing under that old olive tree.
I am standing my watch
as the Lord has called upon me to do.
It was my turn to answer that final call.
Do not weep for me as I’m here
by that old olive tree, the tree of peace.

Now that the Lord has called,
as He has done with others before me
I will be here always, to keep you safe.
I took an oath to keep the peace.
I’m as proud to serve in death as I was in life.
Do not fear my friend,
I have more training to do up here with my fellow brothers,
with the Lord as my master.
He will teach me the ways to keep you out of harm’s way.
I will follow him into battle to keep you safe,
As any warrior would do.

When you pass that old olive tree remember
I’m standing my watch.
If you look very hard and open your heart and soul,
you will see me. Listen for the pipes,
you will hear them and know I am here, to keep you safe.
Do not cry for me my brothers and sisters,
I am at peace standing my final watch.
I am doing the job I loved most.

As you walk thru life be sure I will be there by your side.
And never give up faith as the Lord has plans for us all.
Mine was to be with him to keep all safe. So please do not cry,
I will be here standing watch under that old olive tree,
the tree of peace.

By friend: Gloria Culver May 29, 1997
copyright © 1997 used with permission

Before joining more than 1,000 people gathered to bid farewell to their husband, father, and friend, family and friends of fallen California Highway Patrolman Saul Martinez met Privately with Governor Pete Wilson for what proved to be an emotional moment.

Wilson addressed the approximately 40 people gathered in the room adjacent to the main chapel at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, then presented the California Medal of Valor to Martinez’s wife, Remedios Martinez.

“The medal is an award to Saul for the courage he gave in sacrificing his own life to save his partner, Donovan Rice,” Wilson told those gathered.

“The medal cannot begin to constitute the loss, but through his family, the medal speaks recognition through the state for the loved one they lost,” he said. “This medal is given on behalf of those lives he touched and made so much better. Fellow officers said he was, and is, the best we had.”

The medal which was awarded to the seven-year veteran, is the highest honor California bestows on state employees.

Farm workers in straw hats, the governor, and a huge gathering of law enforcement officers standing teary-eyed, gathered Monday, May 19, to pay tribute to Martinez, who gave his life to save his partner.

More than 2,500 mourners attended services at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Indio, where Martinez attended Mass each Sunday, and onto the street outside. Friends and colleagues stood in the stifling heat listening to the funeral Mass on loudspeakers.

“What he did as his last act on Earth was a sign of how he always lived,” Father Rafael Partida told the gathering.

Martinez, 39, and a father of three, died May 16, just over a week after he pushed partner Donovan Rice to safety and left himself in the path of an oncoming car on a pitch-black desert highway.

Wilson praised Martinez as a hero who earned life’s crown. Saul Martinez gave his life in a way that was not merely defined heroism,” the governor said. “It was selfless, it was courage above and beyond what few, if any, of us can muster.”

Martinez and Rice stopped about 1 a.m. to investigate a car parked along Dillon Road, a wide, empty highway in the desert north of Palm Springs.

From behind them in the desert night, a car was barreling down on the officers, traveling along the shoulder of the highway, more than 15 feet off the roadway, investigators said.

“I heard the sound of crunching gravel and Saul yelled, ‘Run!’ But at that point, everything went into slow motion for me, and Saul pushed me, slammed me, out of the way.” Rice said.

“When I hit the ground, I looked up and I saw the headlights and I knew I was going to die,” Rice said. But the oncoming car hit the parked vehicle and in the twisting, spinning crash, Rice was struck on the thought he might be dead. I was crying uncontrollably.” Martinez was run over by the car, dragged about 15 feet and pinned beneath it.

Rice, who couldn’t stand up, ordered the driver, identified by the CHP as Joseph La Pagila, 63, to use his CHP radio to call for help. A CHP dispatcher in Indio heard an unfamiliar voice calling out, “Hello? Hello!” La Pagila reported that he had run over an officer, said CHP Sgt. Bill Dato.

Within moments, a Riverside County deputy sheriff arrived on the scene, checked Martinez, still trapped beneath the vehicle, for vital signs and felt no pulse. The next call then went out on the radio was, “11-44.” Meaning an officer is dead.

Local police, sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers from miles around converged on the scene and lifted La Pagila’s car off Martinez so paramedics could pull him out and treat him.

Rice was treated for minor leg injuries and released from the hospital for a three-day bed rest at home. Rice, who had recently become Martinez’s partner, said the two enjoyed teasing each other and that he learned to respect Martinez’s devotion to family.

“I’m fixin’ to get married in August, and I had just told Saul the night before that my wedding is going to be very private, and that he was one of the few people who I wanted to be there,” Rice said. “He was a prince and a gentleman, and his family always came first.”

Such remarks were echoed all around Indio where Martinez was a fixture at his three children’s schools.

Martinez, who was born in Via Juarez San Luis, Potosi, Mexico, emigrated with his family to the United States in 1964. He graduated from Buena High School in 1977 before attending the University of California at Santa Barbara for two years before he was hired by the United Farm Workers, where he worked with Ceazar Chavez for almost 10 years as a community leader and activist.

Martinez started as a translator, was promoted to organizer, and then to contract negotiator. His final position with the UFW was crop manager. In this position, he was in charge of all matters related to the grape crop throughout California. He received numerous awards from Chavez for his work for human rights.

In 1987 Martinez left his position with the UFW to work as a dispatcher for the Delano Police Department. A year later he transferred to the Indio Police Department as a dispatcher. After three months as a dispatcher in Indio, he was offered and appointment to the CHP Academy. Cadet Martinez began his training in Sacramento on December 10, 1988 and on May 12, 1989, he was assigned to the Indio CHP area.

Martinez’s 12-year-old son, Saul Jr., and his two brothers, Ben, 20, and Rafael, 29, received the Latino Peace Officer of the Year for 1996 award May 10, on Martinez’s behalf as he lay critically injured in the hospital. The award was presented by the Latino Peace Officers Association of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Rafael Martinez, a Ventura police officer, described Saul as a “peace maker” and someone the entire family counted on. “I consider Saul a leader among the leaders,” he said.

Martinez joined the proactive El Protector program seven years ago and made immediate impacts. The program targets the Hispanic community, educating the people on traffic safety.

“Saul spent hours, not just department time, but months worth of hours on his own in those communities,” CHP Public Information Officer Tammi Low said. “He is definitely an individual who believes in his community.

Low said, “Saul did make a difference, not just with supervisors and peers at work, but he was such a significant role model.”

Martinez is survived by his wife, Remedios, son, Saul Jr., 12, and daughters, Catalina, 6, and Elizabeth, 14.

A Martinez Family Trust Fund has been established. Donations ca be made to account no. 045103668 at First Community Bank, 74-750 highway 111, Indian Wells, CA 92210.

Yuba County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian E. Meibeck, 26, had been into his first law enforcement job for only six weeks when he was killed April 1, 1997 by a single shotgun blast that struck just above his bulletproof vest. Several of the shotgun pellets severed the deputy’s aorta, the sheriff’s office said. Meilbeck was shot while responding to a dispute between brothers in the community of Olivehurst, about 40 miles north of Sacramento.

Funeral services were Monday, April 8, 1997, with an elaborate ceremony held in the cavernous chapel at the Capitol Christian Center in Sacramento.

Almost 2,000 law enforcement officers from throughout the state gathered to say good-bye to a “character and prankster,” to pay their respects to his widow and toddler son, and to reflect on their own vulnerability.

“All day long, we go on these calls,” Jim Capoot, a Vallejo police officer, said before the memorial service. “We go on disturbance calls seven-to-10 times a day. It’s human mature to wander if it could happen to you.”

For Meilbeck’s family and deputies who knew the rookie deputy, the service was also aimed at starting the healing process.

“Some of us are experiencing a lot of hurt and hate,” said Yuba County Sheriff Gary Tindel in his eulogy to Meilbeck. “Is that healthy? No. No one can understand or explain why Brian was taken from us last week, but we have to move on.”

Tindel remembered Meilbeck as a “very intelligent, highly motivated and very nice to be around.” He said Meilbeck had worked as a security officer before joining the Yuba County force.

Meilbeck spent long hours preparing to be a deputy, working days and studying nights at the Sacramento City College Public Safety Center.

“He was one of my children,” said Assistant Commander Pamela Reedere, who worked with Meilbeck from the start of the 10-month Basic Police Academy Program until he graduated in a class of 36.

She called him a hard-working student who tackled the rigorous course work – three days of training a week plus all day Saturdays – with fervor.

“He was very dedicated, working a full-time job keeping his outside life all together,” she said, dabbing tears with a handkerchief.

Kim Mojica, a community service officer with the Sacramento Police Department, said her classmate had a sincere interest in other people, always offering help or volunteering extras, such as creating the class video. “He liked working with people. He said he always wanted to become a police officer.”

“Brian’s life was all too brief, his death all too violent, but we must not lose hope or faith,” said the Rev. Wayne Carlson of Valley Hi Covenant Church, where the Meilbeck family worshipped.

Sheriff Tindel said of the suspect, “I’m convinced he shot right at him. It’s a case where the deputies were just walking up to the (mobile) home and a shot came from nowhere.” Meilbeck didn’t even have a gun drawn, the sheriff said.

The Deputy was shot by a 27-year-old man who had earlier shot his brother in the leg, said Tindel. Philip A. Peterson was arraigned on a first-degree murder charge and related offenses. He is being held in the Yuba County Jail.

Sheriff Tindel stated, “We don’t know much about him. We do have a file on him, and he is familiar to us.”

Neighbors, however, said Peterson has had numerous run-ins with the law and had often been in conflict with his older brother, Michael Peterson. Meilbeck and two fellow deputies responded to a call from a woman who said that her son had shot his brother in the leg.

By the time the officer arrived at the Peterson’s property, Michael Peterson had been driven to the Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville by his father, Tindel reported. He was listed in serious but stable condition. Peterson remained barricaded for about 20 minutes in the trailer before surrendering.

Meilbeck’s widow, Chaney, hung her head over her knees for most of the service, which included honor guards and a flyover in missing-man formation.

Their 2-year-old son, Cameron, stayed in the chapel’s nursery, playing and napping through the memorial service, but Chaney Meilbeck held him as they walked out of the services between lines of law enforcement officers saluting the young family.

Meilbeck moved from Michigan to California after high school in 1989 to attend Cosumnes River College. He came to the area to pursue his dream of getting an education and of becoming a police officer, Ed Smith, a family friend and Meilbeck’s former boss at a tow truck service, told the gathered mourners.

“He was always interested in law enforcement,” Smith said. “When he was supposed to be hitching up a car, instead he would be at the crime scene, checking things out and trying to find out what happened.”

Meilbeck then got a job as a private detective, doing surveillance for insurance companies. He graduated from the Sacramento City College Police Academy with a 4.0 grade average in June 1996, before landing the job as a Yuba County sheriff’s deputy.

Dave Springer described his friend in a eulogy as a “character and prankster” who was always “ sly and clever, too quick for me.”

“He had a big heart,” Springer said of Meilbeck. “All he wanted to do was help people out. Unfortunately, he made the ultimate sacrifice for just wanting to help people out.”

A trust fund has been established to provide future education funds for Meilbeck’s son, Cameron Chase. Send your donations to: Yuba Account Deputy Sheriff’s Association Memorial Fund for Brian E. Meilbeck, c/o Sierra Central Credit Union, 422 Forth Street, Marysville, CA 95901.

He is the first Yuba County sheriff’s deputy killed on duty since 1974.

The defendant in the 1997 shooting death of Meilbeck was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges, and was sentenced to 35 years to life in state prison.