Man charged with murder in shooting death of Bishop David O'Connell in Hacienda Heights
HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was charged with murdering Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell in Hacienda Heights, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced one count of murder against the suspect, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, with a special allegation that he used a firearm in commission of the murder.
"Charging Mr. Medina will never repair the tremendous harm that was caused by this callous act, but it does take one step closer to accountability," he said during a press conference.
If convicted, Medina faces up to 35 years to life in prison.
Medina was arrested at his home in Torrance on Monday. Medina is the husband of the bishop's housekeeper and was described as acting irrationally in recent days and claiming the bishop owed him money.
However, Gascón said the exact motive still remains unclear. Investigators say Medina gave several answers when asked about his motive, but none made any sense. They don't believe there's any validity to the claim that the bishop owed him money.
O'Connell was found dead over the weekend in Hacienda Heights. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to a medical emergency call on the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue just before 1 p.m. Saturday.
During Wednesday's press conference, the district attorney said O'Connell was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators initially said it was at least one gunshot wound, but Gascón clarified that the way his body was found in bed initially suggested he died of natural causes.
The 69-year-old, who was a priest and later a bishop with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for 45 years, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors said there were no signs of forced entry into the home and they assume some sort of key was used to enter.
