HACIENDA HEIGHTS—On February 21, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Robert Luna, announced the name of the suspect arrested for the murder of Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell on February 18 is Carlos Medina, 65.
According to reports, Medina’s wife was the housekeeper for Bishop O’Connell, Medina had done some work for the Bishop as well.
Someone reportedly tipped off LASD, that Medina was acting erratically when he returned home on Saturday, February 18, and that Medina was speaking about collecting on a debt that Bishop owed to him.
Sheriff Luna told reporters that he knew not of the dispute, and that information came from a witness.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced on February 20th that a person of interest was taken into custody in connection to the death of Bishop O’Connell. The suspect’s name has not been released to the public.
On Saturday, February 18, at approximately 1 p.m., O’Connell, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles County, was shot and killed at his home in Hacienda Heights at the age of 69. Bishop O’Connell was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2015. He served as the Episcopal Vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region.
According to deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, O’Connell was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On February 18, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Most Reverend Jose’ H. Gomez announced the death of Bishop O’Connell at the evening Mass:
“Our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell has passed away unexpectedly. It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness. As a Priest, and later a Bishop here in Los Angeles for forty-five years. Bishop Dave was a man of deep prayer who had a great love for our Blessed Mother. He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor, and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life were honored and protected. He was also a good friend, and I will miss him greatly. I know we all will. Please join me in praying for Bishop Dave and for his family in Ireland. May Our Lady of Guadalupe wrap him in the mantle of her love, and may the angels lead him into paradise, and may he rest in peace.”
“We learned early this morning from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office that they have determined that the death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell yesterday was a homicide. We are deeply disturbed and saddened by this news,” said Gomez.
This incident is under investigation. Anyone with details is asked to call the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
