Each May, peace officers, surviving family members and law enforcement supporters throughout the nation pay respects to all our brothers and sisters who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, both in the past year and throughout history.
This year’s California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremonies at the State Capitol on May 3–4 honor the 12 officers featured here whom we lost in 2025, as well as one who died in 2008. Those 12 fallen heroes from 2025, along with four past California line-of-duty deaths ranging from 1884 to 2004, will also be honored during ceremonies in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week, May 10–16. They are among the 363 U.S. peace officers — 109 killed in 2025 and 254 from previous years — whose names are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year.
These events give our law enforcement family the opportunity to pause, gather, reflect, mourn and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to their communities. The memorial ceremonies are also an important part of our continuing commitment to supporting bereaved loved ones and colleagues and reminding them that they are not alone. We dedicate this issue of PORAC Law Enforcement News to all California’s fallen officers and their survivors. We will never forget their legacy of service and sacrifice.
Deputy Timothy Corlew
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office
EOW: January 8, 2025
After completing a highway traffic stop, Deputy Timothy Corlew was driving in the HOV lane when he collided with a stopped car ahead and was thrown from his patrol motorcycle. Paramedics reached him within minutes, attempted lifesaving measures and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. He was 40 years old and a nine-year Sheriff’s Office veteran, assigned to Jurupa Valley Station. He is survived by his wife and two sons. “We will always remember Tim, not only for the sacrifice he made but for the legacy of courage, integrity and generosity he leaves behind,” Captain Justin Rowan said.
Deputy Hector Cuevas Jr.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: March 17, 2025
Almost immediately after Deputy Hector Cuevas Jr. initiated a pursuit of a stolen vehicle that had been reported just minutes earlier, his vehicle collided with another car and then a nearby power pole at an intersection in Victorville. Although first responders rushed to administer aid, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the stolen vehicle was taken into custody and charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, evading a police officer and causing death or serious injury. Cuevas was 36, had served with the Department for three years and is survived by his wife, two children, parents and siblings. “He was one of the hardest-working deputies to ever walk through the station doors,” Captain Randy German said.
Officer Osmar Rodarte
Marysville Police Department
EOW: March 26, 2025
As part of a years-long transnational drug trafficking investigation by the Yuba-Sutter Narcotics and Gang Task Force Unit, officers from several area agencies were executing a search warrant at a home when the subject opened fire. SWAT Officer Osmar Rodarte was fatally shot during the exchange. The suspect was also shot and was pronounced deceased at the scene. A 27-year-old U.S. Army veteran who was a devoted husband and the father of two, Rodarte had served on the Department for two years and was its first line-of-duty loss in more than a century. “We feel this loss deeply. I feel as though I have lost a son,” Chief Christian Sachs said.
Officer Samuel Riveros
Baldwin Park Police Department
EOW: May 31, 2025
Officer Samuel Riveros and his partner, Anthony Pimentel, responded to a call of a suspect firing a rifle in the street who had already fatally shot another man. The suspect then opened fire on the officers, and both were struck in the ensuing exchange of gunfire. Pimentel survived his injuries, but Riveros tragically did not. The suspect was charged with two counts of murder. A 35-year-old, nine-year Department veteran who is survived by his parents and siblings, Riveros served on the SWAT team for more than five years and had recently been appointed as a field training officer. “Sam will forever be remembered for his infectious smile, his passion for knowledge, his big and kind heart, his snowboarding prowess and his love for his other team in blue, the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Chief Robert Lopez said.
Sergeant Shiou Deng
Los Angeles Police Department
EOW: June 23, 2025
After witnessing a freeway collision, Sergeant Shiou Deng exited his patrol vehicle to assist the victims when he was struck from the rear by an oncoming vehicle. The victim from the original crash was also hit and was pronounced dead at the scene. Deng was transported to the hospital but, despite all lifesaving efforts, did not survive. A 26-year veteran of the Department who had dedicated 17 of those years to its Mental Evaluation Unit, he was promoted to sergeant two years ago and assigned to the West Los Angeles Division. Deng was 53 years old and is survived by his wife, stepdaughter, parents and two siblings. “Sergeant Deng lived his life the way most of us wish we could — with kindness, with humor and with purpose,” Chief Jim McDonnell said.
Parole Agent Joshua Byrd
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
EOW: July 17, 2025
Parole Agent Joshua Byrd was fatally shot when a recently released parolee entered the Oakland parole office where he was on duty and opened fire. The suspect was quickly apprehended and charged with eight felonies, including murder. A U.S. Navy veteran, Byrd joined CDCR in 2014 and served as a correctional officer and sergeant at the California Medical Facility before joining the Department of Parole Operations in 2024. He was 40 years old and is survived by his wife and three children. His death was the first time a parole agent had been killed in the line of duty since the state enacted the parole law in 1893. “People have described him as hardworking, deeply dedicated, a man who loved his family and those around him, not just in words, but through his actions,” CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber said.
In the largest loss of life for the LASD since 1857, Arson Explosives Detail Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn were killed in an explosion at the Biscailuz Training Facility in East Los Angeles. Two military-style grenades, believed to be inert, had been recovered from an apartment building storage unit the previous day and were taken to the training facility to be destroyed when one of the devices detonated. “There are no words to express the pain and sorrow we feel,” Sheriff Robert Luna said. “These heroes represented the best of our Department, exemplifying courage, integrity and selfless service. This is not only a heartbreaking loss for their families, but for all of us.”
Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: July 18, 2025
Kelley-Eklund joined the LASD as a deputy in 2006 and served in numerous assignments, including as a field training officer and Narcotics Bureau detective, before becoming an arson and explosives investigator in 2022. He is survived by his wife and their seven children.
Detective Victor Lemus
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: July 18, 2025
Lemus joined the LASD in 2003 as a security assistant, became a deputy in the same year and served in several assignments, including as a senior training officer, detective and K-9 handler, before becoming an arson and explosives investigator in 2024. He ran on Baker to Vegas teams, anchoring some of the most difficult legs of the annual desert relay race. He is survived by his wife, LASD Detective Nancy Lemus, and three daughters; his three sisters and his brother-in-law are also on the Department.
Detective William Osborn
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: July 18, 2025
Osborn joined the LASD as a deputy in 1992 and served in several assignments before promoting to the rank of detective, where he handled more than 100 cases a year for over a decade. After three years as an Emergency Vehicle Operations Center instructor, he became an arson and explosives investigator in 2019. He is survived by his wife, LASD Detective Shannon Rincon, and their six children.
Officer Lauren Craven
La Mesa Police Department
EOW: October 20, 2025
Officer Lauren Craven had stopped to assist motorists involved in a multivehicle collision when she and the driver from the initial incident were struck by an oncoming vehicle. CHP officers performed lifesaving efforts, but she died at the scene, as did the other victim. The driver who hit them was charged with one count of murder and one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Craven was 25 years old and had joined the Department in 2024. She is survived by her partner, parents and sister. “Lauren, her smile and her resiliency is a light that will shine forever on our La Mesa community,” Chief Ray Sweeney said. “She loved what she did. She loved the community she served.”
Deputy Andrew Nuñez
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: October 27, 2025
Deputies were dispatched to a domestic violence call of an armed male threatening a female and were immediately met with gunfire by the suspect. Deputy Andrew Nuñez sustained a single gunshot wound and was airlifted to a hospital where, despite all lifesaving efforts, he passed away. The suspect fled but was taken into custody and faces 10 charges, including murder. Nuñez was a six-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department and is survived by his wife, young daughter and unborn child, as well as his mother and siblings. “He laid down his life by protecting others, the lives of people he didn’t know,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said. “To Andrew, it didn’t matter if they were strangers.”
Officer Alec Sanders
Alhambra Police Department
EOW: November 20, 2025
Officers were in pursuit of a gray SUV with three occupants when the suspect’s vehicle struck Officer Alec Sanders’ marked patrol vehicle. He was rushed to the hospital, but his injuries were not survivable. A passenger in the suspect car died at the scene, and the driver faces five felony charges, including two counts of murder. Sanders, age 28, had joined the Alhambra P.D. eight months earlier, after serving with the Long Beach P.D. for just over a year. He is survived by his fiancée and three siblings. Chief Garrett Kennedy said Sanders will be “remembered for his dedication, his kindness and the positive impact he had on everyone.”
Distant Past
Deputy Paul DeRouen
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
EOW: March 29, 2008
During the early morning hours of January 27, 1986, Deputy Paul DeRouen, an eight-year Sheriff’s Office veteran, was dispatched to a reported fight in progress. While DeRouen was attempting to subdue a suspect, both men fell onto the roadway and were struck by a speeding car. DeRouen was thrown 38 feet and received life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to amputate his left leg, along with most of his left hip. Determined to remain with his family, DeRouen was able to return home after three months, but continued surgeries and complications ended his law enforcement career. He continued to fight for over 22 years, until his devastating injuries took his life. He is survived by his wife and two children, including a son who is a Sacramento County sheriff’s sergeant.