The authorities have identified the alleged perpetrator in the tragic and violent incident that resulted in the death of a beloved and long-serving Catholic bishop in Los Angeles, who was known for his dedication to promoting peace and harmony among people.
According to the reports shared during a press conference on Monday, a man named Carlos Medina, aged 65, has been arrested in connection with the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell. As per the statement made by the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, Robert Luna, Medina is the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper.
The deceased bishop had spent 45 years of his life serving the church as a priest and then as a bishop. He was found dead in a home in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights on Sunday after the sheriff’s deputies responded to an emergency medical call.
The investigation revealed that the suspect had been acting erratically and had accused the bishop of owing him money. This news has left the religious community in deep sorrow and anguish, as they mourn the loss of a compassionate and dedicated spiritual leader.
The authorities have identified the alleged perpetrator in the tragic and violent incident that resulted in the death of a beloved and long-serving Catholic bishop in Los Angeles, who was known for his dedication to promoting peace and harmony among people.
According to the reports shared during a press conference on Monday, a man named Carlos Medina, aged 65, has been arrested in connection with the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell. As per the statement made by the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, Robert Luna, Medina is the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper.
The deceased bishop had spent 45 years of his life serving the church as a priest and then as a bishop. He was found dead in a home in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights on Sunday after the sheriff’s deputies responded to an emergency medical call.
The investigation revealed that the suspect had been acting erratically and had accused the bishop of owing him money. This news has left the religious community in deep sorrow and anguish, as they mourn the loss of a compassionate and dedicated spiritual leader.
The killing of the beloved bishop sent shock waves through the Los Angeles Catholic community, prompting some parishioners to go to the scene of the O’Connell’s death to pray.
José H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, said O’Connell was known as a “man of deep prayer.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators said they received a medical emergency call at 12:57 p.m. Sunday and deputies responded to a home in Hacienda Heights. There, they found the 69-year-old O’Connell unresponsive and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. It’s unclear how long O’Connell had been dead before sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home.
“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected,” Gomez said.
“It broke me and I was scared to tell my wife because my wife loved him so much,” parishioner Johnny Flores told ABC Los Angeles station KABC.
Another parishioner, Glendy Perez, described O’Connell as “a humble soul.”
“He was not the type that would have confrontations with nobody,” Perez told KABC. “He was very loving, and he had like a gift of healing. When you would attend his ceremonies, it was like a gift of healing.”
O’Connell, who was born in Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015.
O’Connell studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained in 1979 to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. After ordination, he served as associate pastor and pastor at several parishes in Los Angeles.