LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Three arrests have been made in connection with the shooting murder of off-duty LAPD Officer Juan Diaz.
On Saturday, July 27, 2019, an LAPD officer was flagged down near Avenue 26 and Humboldt Street. The officer found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds, one of those was learned to be 24-year-old LAPD Officer Juan Diaz. Officer Diaz lost his life as a result of the shooting, the other man survived and was rushed to the hospital.
Through investigation it was learned that Officer Diaz, his girlfriend, and two other males were standing in line at a Lincoln Heights taco stand. It was around 1:00 a.m. when Officer Diaz spotted a man vandalizing something. Officer Diaz confronted the man who lifted his shirt to show that he was armed. The man began shooting, striking Officer Diaz and another man.
On Friday, August 2, 2019, early in the morning, the LAPD Robbery-Homicide served search warrants in connection with the homicide. Three arrests were made, Francisco Talmantes, 23, Cristan Facundo, 20, and Ashlynn Smith, 18, all of Temecula. The three suspects were booked into jail for Murder with Gang Allegations. All are being held without bail.
“Through due diligence and a penchant for justice, we have moved one step closer to bringing justice to fallen LAPD Officer Juan Diaz and his family,” said LAPD Chief Michel Moore, on a Twitter post. “We continue to offer prayers and condolences to his family during this unimaginably difficult time.”
