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The Los Angeles Sheriff Department announced the passing of Deputy Joseph Solano on Wednesday evening. Since Monday, June 10, 2019, Deputy Solano has been hospitalized in grave condition following what still appears to be a random shooting.

Authorities said that he had taken his mother’s vehicle to a Jiffy Lube in Alhambra for service just before going to the Jack in the Box. Sometime before 5:45 p.m., he stopped at the Jack in the Box in the 2500 block of Valley Boulevard to purchase some food. He was off-duty and out of uniform, LASD officials said that there was nothing to signify that he worked in law enforcement.

Deputy Solano was standing at the restaurant counter as the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Rhett McKenzie Nelson, of St. George Utah walked in. He walked over to the counter and shot him in his head and left. Detectives viewed surveillance, getting clear images of the suspect and suspect vehicle.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2019, according to LASD officials, Nelson walked into a church on Clark Avenue in Long Beach. He called his father and told him that he was in Southern California and committed murder. His father reported the call to authorities and they located Nelson driving in a 2012 Kia Sorento, the same vehicle description as the suspect vehicle. Nelson was taken into custody without incident. Inside his vehicle, on the backseat were his clothing that was worn during the shooting. Detectives also located a firearm inside the vehicle.

Nelson had only been in California since the beginning of June. but at one point lived in Southern California until his family moved to Utah in 2005. Nelson had a criminal record but all were drug-related. Nelson drove away from his home on May 25th and fearing he relapsed, they reported him missing on May 28th. Both authorities and his family in Utah said that they had no reason to believe that Nelson would be a danger to himself or anyone else.

With his family standing around, the passing of Deputy Solano was announced to the public. In tears, his stepdaughter said, “I not only lost a father figure, but I lost my best friend. Please don’t forget about him.”