Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has identified the suspect in the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell as 65-year-old Carlos Medina.
Luna said Medina is the husband of O’Connell’s housekeeper and had previously done work at the bishop’s residence.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in the 1500 block of Janlu Ave in Hacienda Heights around 1 p.m. Saturday where they found O’Connell, 69, unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the upper body.
Investigators found no firearm at the scene and no signs of forced entry into the Bishop’s residence, Luna said. Based on the evidence, the sheriff’s office determined it was now a murder investigation.
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Investigators canvassed the neighborhood and discovered surveillance footage showing a dark-colored compact SUV pulling into the bishop’s driveway. The vehicle stayed in the bishop’s driveway for a short time before leaving the location, Luna said.
Detectives received a tip that there was a “person of interest” who resided in Torrance, about an hour’s drive southwest of Hacienda Heights. That person of interest was later identified as Carlos Medina, a 65-year-old Hispanic male, Luna said.
The tipster told detectives Medina was acting “strange” and “irrational” and “made comments about the bishop owing him money,” Luna said.
Medina is the husband of O’Connell’s housekeeper. Luna said Medina had previously done work at O’Connell’s residence and drove a similar SUV to the one seen in his driveway.
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Luna said a search warrant was executed on Medina’s house early Monday morning, but he refused to come out. Medina eventually surrendered, and he was arrested around 8:15 a.m.
Detectives recovered two firearms at Medina’s residence, Luna said. Investigations are underway to determine if they were the same firearms used in O’Connell’s…
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