LAPD fires rookie officer suspected in Pomona murder

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said rookie officer Henry Solis, who is suspected of killing a 23-year-old man in Pomona, has been fired.

"Henry Solis failed to meet the minimum standards of the Los Angeles Police Department and has been terminated effective immediately," Beck said Tuesday.

Beck added that Solis "dishonored" the police department, the country and his family. He urged Solis to turn himself in and face the consequences of his actions.

Solis, 27, is suspected of killing 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr Friday night. The shooting happened in the area of Third and Main streets at 3:29 a.m. Investigators believe Solis, who was off-duty at the time, got into a fistfight with Rodriguez that escalated into a fatal shooting.

Rodriguez was found with gunshot wounds to the lower torso. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

A vigil will be held for Rodriguez on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the sidewalk near where he collapsed at 360 W. Third Street in Pomona.

Solis was named as a person of interest after he did not show up for work Saturday. He started working for the LAPD Devonshire Division in November 2014.

Beck said Solis was a U.S. Marine before joining the department and nothing in his background indicated he would suddenly harm someone.

His silver Volkswagen Jetta was found abandoned near the crime scene Sunday. An arrest warrant was issued for him Monday after further investigation by Pomona police.

Authorities said he may be driving a 1992 Ford pick-up truck, brown or tan in color, with California license plate 4J79703. Police also warned that Solis knows he is wanted and that they are searching for him. He is considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with more information on this incident was urged to call the Pomona Police Department's Detective Bureau at (909) 620-2085.