Funeral honors sheriff's deputy injured in fire at Castaic shooting range

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Mourners gathered Thursday morning to honor the memory of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who was severely injured in an October fire at a mobile shooting range at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic.

The services were held at St. Didacus Catholic Church in Sylmar for Deputy Alfredo "Freddy" Flores, 51, who died April 20.

"I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the entire Flores family," Sheriff Robert Luna said at the services.

"Our hearts are with you, and we offer you our continued support -- as a department and as a law enforcement family, because all of you will always be part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department family," Luna said.

Flores was injured during a training accident that sparked a fire on Oct. 10, 2023, at the Pitchess Detention Center, one of the custody facilities at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.

Joe Nunez, the Flores' family attorney, said the cause of the fire was "the malfunction of equipment during a training drill."

Two L.A. County Sheriff's Department deputies were injured after a fire and possible explosion erupted amid live ordnance at a training facility in Castaic, authorities said.

The fire erupted around 9:30 a.m. that day inside a 53-foot trailer configured as a mobile shooting range.

When firefighters arrived at the facility in the 29300 block of The Old Road, they determined that two injured deputies had been taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital by other deputies. Specific details about the nature and extent of their injuries were not released at that time, with Luna saying only that their injuries "are consistent with a fire."

County fire crews worked throughout the morning to douse the stubborn fire within the trailer, with the unexploded ammunition hampering the effort. The fire was eventually declared a knockdown at 1:20 p.m. and was contained to the single mobile trailer.

Following the deputy's death last month, Luna wrote on social media, "Deputy Flores was not just a colleague but a beacon of strength, earning the respect of both his peers and the community he served. His sudden departure left an immense void in the hearts of all who knew him. Freddy is survived by his wife, children and parents."

Flores' assignments included the North County Correctional Facility, the sheriff's Altadena station and the Court Services West Bureau.