Memorial fund set up for 28-year-old Alhambra officer killed in pursuit crash
ALHAMBRA, Calif. (KABC) -- The police community is rallying behind a 28-year-old Alhambra officer who was killed after a chase ended in a violent crash.
A memorial fund has been created by the Peace Officers Research Association of California to support the family of Officer Alec Sanders.
"Alec devoted his career to serving the community with integrity, compassion, and courage...," reads a statement on the organization's website. "His loss has left a tremendous void within the department, the city, and everyone fortunate enough to have known him. During this incredibly painful time, we are coming together to support Alec's family as they navigate unimaginable heartbreak."
Officer Sanders had been with the Alhambra Police Department for only eight months.
He died in an early-morning crash Thursday when he was chasing a stolen Hyundai and collided with the vehicle at the intersection of Edgewood Street and Valley Boulevard.
A passenger, Gabriela Moreno, 42, was killed after she was ejected from the Hyundai.
Two others in the suspect vehicle were injured, including the driver - 27-year-old El Monte resident Steven Zapata. Zapata was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries and arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, according to the California Highway Patrol. He will be booked once he's medically cleared.
Sanders was covering the shift of a colleague when he was fatally injured. Sanders, who previously worked for about a year with the Long Beach Police Department, leaves behind a fiancée, two younger sisters and a brother.
City News Service contributed to this report.
