Police have named a handyman as the prime suspect in the murder of a Catholic bishop who was found shot dead at his Los Angeles home over the weekend.
Carlos Medina, 65, was arrested Monday morning after police surrounded his home in Torrance and convinced him to surrender after a standoff of several hours, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said.
He is charged with the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, who was found dead with a gunshot wound to the upper body in the bed of his Hacienda Heights home on Saturday and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say Medina’s wife worked for O’Connell as a housekeeper and that Medina recently made “irrational” comments about the bishop owing him money after occasionally doing handyman jobs at his home.
Neighbors told the New York Post that Medina’s wife had been taking care of the bishop’s dog for about a decade, and that the accused killer sometimes walked the cleric’s dog himself.
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Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna named Carlos Medina, 65, the alleged killer
A man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell (pictured) over the weekend
Flowers are seen outside the home of Bishop David G. O’Connell, who was found dead in the bedroom of the Hacienda Heights residence on Saturday afternoon
The shocking murder was first brought to light around 1pm on Saturday when police and paramedics responded to a 911 call for a non-breathing person and found O’Connell dead of a gunshot wound on arrival.
The sheriff confirmed that no gun was found at the scene of O’Connell’s murder, adding that there was no evidence of a forced entry into the Bishop’s home on Janlu Avenue, which is owned by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
He also noted that surveillance video had captured a dark compact SUV briefly parked in the driveway of O’Connell’s home around the possible time of the murder. Medina drives a similar vehicle, Sheriff Luna said.
Luna said Medina caught the eye of investigators after a tipster contacted police to report that Medina was “behaving strangely and irrationally, making comments about the bishop who owed him money.”
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Medina’s home and an arrest warrant, and attempted to execute the warrants around 2 a.m. Monday after a neighbor called to report that Medina had returned to his home in Torrance.
Deputies surrounded the house, but Medina refused to come out and surrender, according to Luna. A photo shared with KCAL-TV by a neighbor showed an armored vehicle and heavily armed SWAT officers gathered outside the home during the standoff.
The suspect remained holed up in his home for hours before he surrendered without incident around 8.15am, police said.
Luna said a search of the home “turned up firearms and other evidence potentially connecting Medina to the crime,” including two guns being tested for ballistics match with the murder weapon.
A neighbor told the Los Angeles Daily News that Medina was a “strange person” in his 50s who was up all hours of the night digging in his yard. “Always on the go, in a hurry and digging,” said the neighbor, Marty Hernandez.
“I’m just shocked and overwhelmed,” Hernandez told the outlet. “You wouldn’t know you had someone living next door to your house who would do something like that.”
Another neighbor, Luis Lopez, told the newspaper that Medina was a “good man” and “always talkative,” adding that while he did have quirks, such as being shy. B. obsessively washing his car in the rain, but he never tends towards violence.
A Torrance resident shared this photo @kcalnews. It shows SWAT officers standing by to arrest 65-year-old Carlos Medina, who is suspected of murder #Bishop David O’Connell on Saturday. @LASDHQ says Medina’s wife was the bishop’s housekeeper. Medina also worked in his house. pic.twitter.com/THxZe12yLn
— Rina Nakano (@RinaNakanoTV) February 21, 2023
Investigators are working at the crime scene at the Hacienda Heights home where O’Connell was murdered
Community members paid tribute to O’Connell with a memorial outside the crime scene
Before becoming Archbishop, O’Connell served as an associate pastor in several Los Angeles congregations. He is pictured here in June 2016
The Auxiliary Bishop is remembered as a good-hearted man with a heavy Irish accent and a great sense of humour
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputies have now arrested a man in connection with O’Connell’s death. A forensic investigator is seen here leaving the bishop’s home in Hacienda Heights on Sunday
At a news conference, Sheriff Luna called O’Connell’s murder a tragedy and said the bishop “made a huge difference in our community.”
“He was loved, and it is very sad that we are gathered here today to speak of his murder in this way,” Luna said. “He was a pillar in our community, known as a peacemaker, with a passion for serving those in need.”
The death of the auxiliary bishop was first announced by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which called O’Connell a “peacemaker” and a man of “deep prayer” who has cared for all during his 45 years in the Church.
“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and immigrants, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life is honored and protected,” Gomez said in a statement.
“He was also a good friend and I will miss him dearly. I know we all will.
“Please pray with me for Bishop Dave and his family in Ireland. May Our Lady of Guadalupe wrap him in the mantle of her love and may the angels take him to paradise and may he rest in peace.’
Following the announcement, community members gathered outside O’Connell’s home, where some were seen crossing themselves as the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department continued their investigation.
Mourners clutched their rosaries and candles as they took turns singing the Hail Mary and reciting the Lord’s Prayer, according to the Valley Tribune.
Many were shocked by the news, and several residents of the LA suburb, where more than 80 percent of residents are either Hispanic or Asian, wondered who would kill such a notable figure.
“I was devastated when I heard that,” said Donna Marie, a local resident. “Everyone’s kind of shocked right now because that’s not happening here.”
Jose Alvarez agreed, saying: “When I first heard the news I thought he was having a heart attack. I’m shocked it was through a gunshot.’
He said the auxiliary bishop was a man of the people. “The bishops are usually unavailable,” Alvarez explained. “Often they’re kind of hidden in an office, but he was just in the parish preaching a healing mass.”
Johnny Flores also told ABC 7: It broke me and I was afraid to tell my wife because my wife loved him so much.
Mourners who gathered outside the archbishop’s home on Saturday said he had a gift for healing. He is pictured here in 2016 giving a blessing to Cheryl Bertola
Ramona Torres brings flowers and a framed message to pay her respects to Bishop David O’Connell near his home in Hacienda Heights on Sunday
Rev. Albert Avenido, left, and Sacristan Hector Ibarra led members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Covina, California, at a prayer vigil for Bishop David O’Connell near his home
Votive candles and messages were left outside the bishop’s residence after his death
The bishop was remembered over the weekend as a kindhearted man with a heavy Irish accent and a great sense of humor.
Glendy Perez said he was “a humble soul”.
“He wasn’t the type who wouldn’t have a confrontation with anyone,” she said. “He was very loving and had a gift of healing.
“If you attended his ceremonies, it was like a gift of healing.”
Father Albert Avenido of Sacred Heart Church also came to the scene on Saturday night to pray the Holy Rosary and comfort the mourners.
He is now working with other Catholic leaders to organize a special memorial service for O’Connell.
But in the meantime, Alvarez believes people will continue to show up outside the bishop’s home to pay tribute.
“He was a very powerful man,” Alvarez explained. “You could see it in his personality — not just because you see him kneeling in prayer — you know he’s a powerful man because you can see it in his life.”
Meanwhile, Janice Hahn, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, tweeted, “I was deeply saddened to learn of Bishop O’Connell’s passing. He was a longtime friend.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with him during my time on the city council and again as a supervisor,” she continued. “I join Archbishop Gomez and the people of Los Angeles in mourning his loss.”
And the US Conference of Catholic Bishops tweeted: “We join @ArchbishopGomez in mourning the sudden loss of one of our bishops.
“Bishop O’Connell was an active member of our conference and a champion of the poor and marginalized.”
The popular cleric was born in Ireland and was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015. The cleric, a prominent figure in the Hacienda Heights, was hailed as a “peacemaker” by residents of the predominantly Hispanic community
Neighbors and parishioners prayed the rosary outside his home on Sunday
MPs were called to O’Connell’s home on Saturday afternoon after receiving a report that a man was not breathing
O’Connell was born in Ireland in 1953 and was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015.
He studied at All Hallows College, Dublin and was ordained to the Archdiocese in 1979, first as an assistant pastor in several parishes before becoming archbishop.
O’Connell also served as chair of the Southern California interdiocesan immigration task force and helped coordinate the church’s response to immigrant families from Central America.
Last September, St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo honored O’Connell with the Evangelii Gaudium Award for years of service to the community and church in the Los Angeles area.
And nationally, O’Connell has served as chair of the subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
He recently volunteered to lead Ash Wednesday Mass next week at Sacred Heart Catholic School.
“You can imagine how busy the bishops are on Ash Wednesday and he offered to celebrate Mass in our school,” Father Avenido said.
“We were all so excited.”