Riverside County deputy killed in line of duty laid to rest in heartfelt funeral
The 32-year-old Cordero was killed earlier this month and the suspect died two hours later in a freeway gunfight with deputies.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Isaiah Cordero, who was fatally shot by a convicted felon during a traffic stop, was laid to rest Friday in a heartfelt funeral ceremony surrounded by his loved ones, including his law enforcement family.
The services were held at Harvest Christian Fellowship Church.
"We hurt so much, my dearest Isaiah, you were taken too soon," Cordero's mother Rebecca said as she tearfully eulogized her son's memory.
Last Thursday, 32-year-old Cordero was shot and killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley. The suspect died two hours later in a freeway gunfight with deputies.
"My heart goes out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Deputy Isaiah Cordero,'' Attorney General Rob Bonta said Friday. "Deputy Cordero will forever be remembered for his extraordinary service protecting the people of California. I extend my sincere condolences to Deputy Cordero's loved ones andthe Riverside community.''
The Riverside Sheriffs' Association, which represents the nearly 4,000 line deputies countywide, remembered Cordero as "a ray of sunshine ... a person who was dedicated to protecting others.''
Last week, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said the eight-year law enforcement veteran "embodied our motto, 'Service Above Self.'''
"All of our deputies considered him to be a little brother,'' Bianco said during a news briefing outside sheriff's headquarters in downtown Riverside.
Bianco said Cordero, a motorcycle patrolman, stopped 44-year-old William Shea McKay of San Bernardino, a three-strike felon, for reasons still under investigation but possibly related to irregularities with the black pickup he was driving.
According to the sheriff, McKay's criminal history included convictions for kidnapping, assault on a California Highway Patrol canine and armed robbery.
"This tragedy should have been (prevented) by the criminal justice system,'' Bianco said. "This suspect was on his third strike in 2021. But instead of receiving a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, a judge lowered his bail. He failed to appear for sentencing ... and the same judge released him again. We would not be here today if this judge had done her job.''
San Bernardino County Superior Court documents show that the judge was Cara D. Hutson, out of the Rancho Cucamonga branch. She was re-elected to the bench in June and has been a judicial officer since 2007.
"(McKay) should have been immediately sentenced. The judge allowed him out, and here we are today,'' Bianco said.
The Riverside Sheriffs' Association has established a fund to help Cordero's family, available at this link.
City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.
