Suspect arrested in LA bishop’s murder: Carlos Medina, 65, has been named as the suspect in the death of Bishop David O’Connell, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced at a press conference on Monday.
The arrest, according to the LA sheriff’s office, was made possible by several public tips. Let’s find out Who is Carlos Medina and Why he murdered bishop David O’Connell in detail.
Who is Carlos Medina?
Los Angeles, (AP) – The spouse of the victim’s housekeeper and a worker at his residence, was one of the men detained on Monday in connection with the weekend murder of a Catholic auxiliary bishop.
Around 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Hacienda Heights, the scene of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell’s murder, Carlos Medina was reportedly apprehended by a SWAT team in the early morning.
Suspect’s motive?
During a confrontation with law enforcement at his Torrance home in the 20400 block of S. Kenwood Avenue, 65-year-old Carlos Medina was taken into custody early on Monday, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna revealed at a press conference.
According to Luna, Medina had previously performed services at O’Connell’s residence and asserted that the bishop owed him money. In addition, Medina left the bishop’s house on Sunday morning in a small SUV similar to the one captured on security footage.
Police received a tip on Sunday night about a person of interest who lived in Torrance and said the bishop owed him money. This person was eventually identified as Medina. Medina had left Los Angeles County, according to the tip-giver, and was now in Central California.
At about 2 a.m. on Monday, Medina arrived home, which is when a resident of the neighborhood called the police, who then went about obtaining an arrest warrant for him as well as a search warrant for his house.
At Medina’s residence, two weapons were found along with other materials that might have connected Medina to the killing of O’Connell, according to Luna. The crime lab must still examine the weapons to see if any were used in the killing of the bishop.
What happened to David O’Connell?
O’Connell, 69, was assassinated on Saturday inside his home in Hacienda Heights, an unincorporated neighborhood about 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles, just a few blocks from the St. John Vianney Catholic Church, a part of his archdiocese.
He had a gunshot wound when he was discovered Saturday around 1 p.m. In response to a complaint of a medical emergency, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the location.
According to Angelus News, the news source of the largest archdiocese in the country, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, O’Connell had been a priest for 45 years and was an Irish native. Pope Francis appointed him as one of the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishops in 2015.
David O’Connell: who was he?
O’Connell was born in Ireland’s County Cork. According to Doris Benavides, associate director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he completed his studies for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1979.
He had served as the San Gabriel Pastoral Region’s vicar since Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop for the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 2015. He retained this position until his death.
Before becoming the pastor of the Los Angeles parishes of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension, St. Eugene, and St. Michael’s, O’Connell worked as an associate pastor at St. Raymond Catholic Church in Downey, St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Long Beach, and St. Hilary Church of Perpetual Adoration in Pico Rivera.
In recent years, O’Connell assisted in coordinating the church’s response to immigrant children and families from Central America as the head of the inter-diocesan Southern California Immigration Task Committee. Also, he supported the enrollment in Catholic schools of several young immigrants, some of whom went on to complete college.
According to the archdiocese, he participated in the Together in Mission Board, the Priest Pension Board, and the Archdiocesan Financial Council. He was a long-time Knight of Peter Claver and a member of the Council of Priests.
He presided over the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ national Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
For his unselfish devotion to the people and the Church in Los Angeles, O’Connell received the Evangelii Gaudium Award from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo in September, according to Benavides.
Condolences and tributes poured in for O’Connell
Social media users who knew and collaborated with O’Connell also expressed their shock, loss, and memories of him.
On Sunday in Hacienda Heights, locals and churchgoers left flowers, candles, and rosary beads there while praying. One of the people who prayed in front of O’Connell’s house was Gabriela Gil, who first met O’Connell when she was expecting her youngest child.
Irish author and storyteller Julianne Stanz tweeted,
“My heart is heavy with sorrow at the passing of my dear friend Bishop David O’Connell. A compassionate and kind man who loved Jesus. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h’anam dílis which means `May his holy soul be on the right side of God. Rest in peace, Bishop Dave.”
Immigration attorney Linda Dakin-Grimm wrote on Twitter alongside a photo.
“This is L.A. Aux. Bishop David O’Connell, with one of my young clients,” “Bishop Dave … was there for every child and family I have represented. Always. Helping, supporting, and generally being the face of Jesus for me and many many others.”
Norma Seni Pimentel, executive director for Catholic Charities tweeted,
“Bishop David O’Connell, truly a man of God! Your sudden departure has left us extremely sad. May you rest in peace, Bishop O’Connell.
Kathryn Jean Lopez, a columnist and an editor-at-large of National Review Online, tweeted,
“Goodness was I blessed to get to know him. God rest his beautiful soul.”
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.
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