LASD mourns 3 detectives killed in blast at training facility

A Los Angeles Sheriff s Department cruiser at a crime scene File photo courtesy of the department The Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department is in mourning Saturday for three detectives killed in an explosion at a training facility in East Los Angeles in the agency s deadliest day since Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund Victor Lemus and William Osborn were identified by the department at p m Friday as the personnel killed They were all assigned to the Special Enforcement Bureau s Arson Explosives Detail There are no words to express the pain and sorrow we feel Sheriff Robert Luna mentioned in a report These heroes represented the best of our department exemplifying courage integrity and selfless provision This is not only a heartbreaking loss for their families but for all of us Luna called the department s Special Enforcement Bureau The best of the best The individuals who work our arson explosives detail they have years of training Luna declared during a midday news conference Friday near the facility They are fantastic experts and unfortunately I lost three of them this day The blast was revealed at a m Friday at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in the block of North Eastern Avenue southwest of the interchange of the San Bernardino and Long Beach freeways according to the Sheriff s Information Bureau The detectives were moving ordnance in the training center s parking lot when the blast occurred the Los Angeles Times published Sheriff s deputies and a few members of the constituents were visiting the site Saturday morning to pay respects to the detectives Luna announced the site where the blast occurred was not rendered safe by investigators until late morning He would not confirm reports suggesting the explosion involved unexploded ordnance that had been seized Thursday However on Friday Santa Monica police along with county and federal investigators were seen searching an apartment complex in the block of Bay Street near Lincoln Boulevard A resident of that complex advised KTLA that police and sheriff s bureaucrats had been at the building Thursday to retrieve selected old grenades that a tenant uncovered in a storage unit apparently left behind by a previous tenant The search on Friday afternoon prompted an evacuation of at least part of that apartment complex as investigators swept the property for any additional potentially dangerous materials The sheriff s department is inspecting the apartment complex in connection with the explosion department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida explained The Times The three deputies killed in the blast responded to a call to assist the Santa Monica Police Department at the complex on Thursday the newspaper stated The explosion is being investigated as a negligent homicide which could outcome in charges against the person who made or stored the device law enforcement sources narrated The Times Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger directed that county flags be flown at half-staff in honor of the fallen deputies These were not just deputies they were fathers sons mentors and protectors who dedicated their lives to serving our communities with courage and honor the LASD noted Deputy Joshua Kelley-Eklund Deputy Victor Lemus and Deputy William Osborn were members of our Arson and Explosives Detail Each of them had years of experience a deep commitment to their calling and an unwavering sense of duty To say we are heartbroken is an understatement We are devastated we are grieving and we are holding close the families friends and colleagues who now carry the weight of unimaginable loss But even through our sorrow we will honor them We will remember their dedication their sacrifice and their legacy A law enforcement procession began around p m Friday to transfer the deputies bodies from the training center for the county diagnostic examiner s office Dozens of sheriff s deputies stood in formation and saluted as the bodies were carried to a trio of medicinal examiner vans for the journey The vans were then escorted by deputies and other law enforcement representatives on the drive U S Attorney General Pam Bondi was among the federal representatives to comment saying on X that she had spoken with both Luna and U S Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli She also substantiated that the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives were assisting with the examination Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more she wrote Please pray for the families of the sheriff s deputies killed The ATF disclosed it has activated its National Response Club to deploy to the scene of the explosion The company consists of special agents certified fire investigators a forensic chemist intelligence research specialist certified explosives specialist law enforcement training specialist fire protection engineer electrical engineer and an accelerant detection dog with handler according to the bureau Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced the city was supporting the analysis with Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators and LAPD bomb squad personnel The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of these impacted by this blast Bass disclosed on X Gov Gavin Newsom noted he was briefed on the blast and that the Governor s Office of Urgency Services was in contact with the sheriff s department and closely monitoring the situation offering full state assistance Newsom s office also broadcasted the state had deployed investigative personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal at the request of the ATF Luna called Friday s blast the largest loss of life for us as the L A County Sheriff s Department since That was when Sheriff James Barton and several members of his posse including three deputies were ambushed in present-day Santa Ana by criminals they were pursuing Barton died just three weeks into his second term according to a sheriff s department online historical timeline Kelley-Eklund joined the LASD in March and was later assigned to the Pitchess Detention Center North and North County Correctional Facility He transferred to the Lennox station in and became a field training officer at the South Los Angeles station mentoring trainees Kelley-Eklund was promoted to the rank of detective at the Narcotics Bureau in and was assigned to the LA Impact Unit exploring complex crimes seizing large quantities of narcotics and assisting in the arrests of murder subjects In he became an Arson and Explosive Investigator with the Special Enforcement Bureau and received his bomb tech certifications as well as other training accolades Kelley-Eklund is survived by his wife Jessica Eklund and their seven children Victor Lemus joined the LASD on July as a shield assistant He completed the Deputy Sheriff Academy in before he was assigned to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility where he ran on the Baker to Vegas running gang Following that he transferred to the LASD s Century station where he worked as a senior training officer and detective He transferred to the Special Enforcement Bureau in where he was assigned as a K- handler prior to becoming an arson and explosive investigator last year He received commendations for his ability to mentor and train fellow deputies as well as notable arrests involving career criminals Lemus is survived by his wife LASD Detective Nancy Lemus and three daughters He has three sisters who are also in the department He is also survived by his brothers Alfredo Pedro Juan and Efren and brother-in-law Sgt Robert Catalan who is assigned to the LASD s Carson station Osborn graduated from the Sheriff s Academy in February and was assigned to the Men s Central Jail He transferred to Pico Rivera station in as a patrol deputy and to the Industry station in before he was promoted to detective where he received commendations for his work recovering stolen vehicles Osborn transferred to the Training Bureau as an Urgency Wagon Operations Center instructor in but his love for investigations drew him back to detective work and he joined the Special Enforcement Bureau as an arson and explosive investigator in handling cases involving high-dollar loss fires in residential properties as well as fires involving the loss of life He was described as one of the tenured bomb technicians regularly relied upon when faced with a new challenge He has broad range of experience and could be relied upon to provide relevant insight on broad range of subjects He is survived by his wife Detective Shannon Rincon four sons and two daughters Details regarding memorial services will be stated in the coming days according to the LASD City News Facility