Abrego's godmother said police treated him like an animal.
"Where is their humanity?" she said in Spanish at Abrego's Friday memorial.
On Aug. 2, 37-year-old Abrego was driving erratically, narrowly missing a pedestrian. He got out of his car just feet from his home, then tried to flee, police said.
That's when a confrontation with two anti-gang police sergeants began. Police ultimately arrested Abrego in the 6900 block of South Main Street, but he ended up with a laceration on his face.
Abrego died in the hospital 12 hours after the struggle. Two officers were injured. One was still home recovering from his injuries.
A cell phone video shows Abrego in a struggle with police. Witnesses said it looked like police used excessive force.
"I'm outraged. It's not just our family. It's a lot of families are going through this," Abrego's friend Francisco Catalan said.
Just down the street, protests were held over the shooting of Ezell Ford, who was killed in a confrontation with officers from the LAPD Newton Division days after Abrego died.
The Los Angeles Police Department said investigations into both deaths are underway.