16-Year-Old Charged With Murder In Shooting Of Downey Police Officer
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A 16-year-old has been charged as an adult with murder in connection with the shooting death of a Downey police officer, authorities said Friday.
Prosecutors charged Abel Diaz with one count of murder in the fatal shooting of Downey Police Officer Ricardo Galvez on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.
Diaz, who is one of three suspects charged in the shooting, was arrested Wednesday night, officials said.
A five-year veteran of the Downey Police Department, Galvez, 29, was shot and killed as he sat in his personal car in a parking lot adjacent to the police station.
Diaz faced a judge Friday. The judge ordered that Diaz' face not be shown by news media.
On Friday evening, Downey Police identified the other two suspects as brothers, Steven Knott, 18 and Jeremy Anthony, 21.
CBS2's Dave Lopez reported that Diaz appeared to be "much older than 16."
The three are expected to be arraigned Monday at the same time.
Lopez said that Diaz's family was in court Friday and they said that he was innocent.His mother nearly collapsed when she saw him in handcuffs and later had to be restrained, Lopez reported.
As he was taken back to his cell, Diaz yelled out, "Love you, mom."
As she walked to her car, Diaz's sister, named Mari, said through tears, "My brother is innocent. He's innocent. He's innocent. Steven is the shooter. Steven is the shooter. Steven. He's a gang member." When Lopez pressed her and said, "But he was there, right? Was he there?" she repeated, "My brother's innocent. He's not the shooter."
She showed Lopez a text her brother reported sent moments after the shooting occurred.
It read, "Mari I love all y'all and my homie [expletive] up n did something."
"His friend was the shooter, that's what he told me," said Mari.
Sources told Lopez that Galvez had only returned to the station to use the restroom before driving home from K-9 training at another location.
Prosecutors asked Diaz's bail be set at $1 million.