Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 5, 1984
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 5, 1984
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 15 years
Deputy Sheriff David Holguin was shot and killed while assisting a young child who was alone at a bus stop at 3:00 am.
Deputy Holguin had just finished his shift and was heading home when he saw the boy by himself at the intersection of Florence and Vinevale Avenues in Bell City. He stopped and called the Bell Police Department, identified himself as an officer, and waited with the boy until local police arrived.
As he waited for responding officers, the boy's father arrived, and Deputy Holguin began to admonish him. A passerby saw the argument and approached the two men, not realizing that Deputy Holguin was a law enforcement officer because he was in plain clothes and not displaying a badge. When the passerby attempted to intervene in the argument, he saw Deputy Holguin's firearm and opened fire, fatally wounding him.
The citizen who shot Deputy Hoguin was arrested, convicted of second-degree murder, and sentenced to 15 years.
Deputy Sheriff Holguin had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for one year. He is survived by his mother and two sisters.