It apparently hasn’t been printed in the news today but the killer of my friend, Deputy Jerry Ortiz
Was held to answer on all charges at his preliminary hearing today.
We tried to pack the court room with as many Deputies as possible to prevent any of the killer’s buddies from getting in and intimidating the witnesses.
Be that it may, some of the witnesses stated they could no longer remember what happened on that day. Even the witnesses who gave detailed descriptions of the incident, from beginning to end, on the day of the killing recanted their stories. Obviously they are being intimidated. Other’s have been relocated in the witness relocation program and gave excellent testimony.
The saving grace is all the witnesses who were interviewed the day of the killing were recorded.
UPDATE
Media reports here:
A gang member accused of shooting a sheriff’s deputy in the face in an ambush-style attack in Hawaiian Gardens last year was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on murder and other charges.
After a 2 1/2-day preliminary hearing, Norwalk Superior Court Judge Philip E. Hickok ruled there was enough evidence to hold Jose Luis Orozco, 28, for trial for murder in the June 24 death of Deputy Luis Gerardo “Jerry” Ortiz of Diamond Bar.
The murder charge against Orozco includes the special-circumstance allegations of murder of a peace officer, lying in wait and murder to avoid arrest. The District Attorney’s Office may seek the death penalty, but no decision has yet been made.
Orozco was arrested hours after the shooting after being found hiding a few doors away, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Ortiz was a member of the anti-gang detail at the sheriff’s Lakewood station. He was checking identifications of people inside units of an apartment building in the 12200 block of East 223rd Street when he was shot in the face.
The deputy had been investigating an earlier shooting that also allegedly involved Orozco.
Two sisters, ages 6 and 9, testified via closed-circuit television during the preliminary hearing, according to the Press Telegram. The younger girl said Orozco was standing behind the door of her apartment and shot Ortiz while the deputy was talking to her mother, the newspaper reported.
Orozco also faces one count of attempted murder stemming from the earlier shooting — which happened four days before the 35-year-old Ortiz was shot — and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
In the previous shooting, a man was shot in the back while doing yard work at a Hawaiian Gardens home, authorities said.
Orozco has prior felony convictions for auto burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon and resisting an executive officer, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Ortiz had married his third wife less than a month before his death. He also had two sons, then aged 6 and 16.
Thousands of mourners, most of them uniformed officers and deputies, attended Ortiz’s June 30 funeral at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles to pay tribute.
Orozco is being held without bond and will be returned to the Norwalk courthouse March 22 for an arraignment.
For more on Jerry go here:
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Hello Curt, I was a childhood friend of Jerry’s. I lived just around the block from him. We dated on and off in high school and he attended my Senior Prom with me. I just wanted to say that his death is a tragedy and my heart goes out to his friends and family. My sisters and I attended his viewing and funeral services. I was deeply moved that so many people attended his services. I wanted to know if there was anymore news on the trial of his killer? And I also wanted to comment on the idiot above that “Sepy is kool”. He wasnt cool. He is a coward who hid in a bathtub after shooting Mr. Ortiz. He deserves to die but unfortunately will probably live the rest of his life in prison.
sepy is so kool i love that he killed that officer hahahahahahah
There’s nothing more just than a swift public beating and hanging of this scum-bag, Orozco. If convicted and sentenced to die, this piece of shit will only grow old on death row up in San Quentin before he ever meets his fate. It’s always the victim (and their family), the Police Officer that is there to protect us all from the dregs of society like Orozco that pays for this heinous crime; not the killer. I remember when this happened last year; my thoughts were immediately with Officer Ortiz and his family. I am just sickened at how scum-bags like Orozco have the benefit of FREE REPRESENTATION of scum-bag Defense Attorneys and are caudled in our legal system.
Hi,Jerry Ortiz was my cousin. I live in Kansas and haven’t seen my uncle and his family for a few years. I did go to Jerry’s funeral with my mother who is Jerry’s Dads sister. I was overwelmed with the outpoor of support for my cousin. After the services my mother and I went back to Jerry’s parents house to stay with my uncle, who was too ill to attend the services. Shortly after Jerry was killed my uncle was put in the hospital, I feel he is not fighting to get better, as if he has lost the will to live. So when I speak to my mother about Jerry’s family we don’t talk about the trial, we mainly talk about how my aunt and uncle are doing. I came across this website looking for infromation about the trial. So if you have any information I would really appreciate it, so I don’t have to bother my aunt or uncle.Also the sepy is kool comment. The person who posted that is simply ignorant.
As I didn’t know Deputy Ortiz, I came from Kansas City to become a LASD Dep. I still feel a connection to him and all Deputies and Law Enforcement Personnel who leave for work everyday and kiss and hug their families before they leave for duty not wanting to think about the worst that could happen but more about the best difference they can make and knowing that they will be there for their partners come rain or shine. The wounds heal but the scars never seem to go away, families are turned up side down and filled with anger and questions, only to have no real answers and poor closure. That’s when we as common everyday people come together to offer support and condolences for family and friends, but it still doesn’t change how it ends. I first read this horrific tragedy when I was a Deputy in Kansas and it still makes me angry, sad, and confused and frustrated to this very day. Thank you and God Bless, Sir!!!
I FREAKING HATE SEPYS GUTS HE SHOULD SUFFER FOR WHAT HE DID I AM A LASD EXPLORER AND I THINK THIS WAS WRONG OF SEPY OI HOPE THEY MISTREAT HIM IN THIER RUDE LESS SELFISH COWARD GUY….. I AM SO ANGRY AND HEARTBROKEN
R.I.P DEPUTY ORTIZ, JERRY
The Horny Inmate: adapted from Troius and Cressida Act 5, Scene 1
The Inmate: Prithee be silent, boy… Thou ought thought to be my male varlet.
Orozco: Male varlet, you rogue? What’s that?
The Inmate: Why my masculine whore. To endure the rotten diseases of the South, the guts-griping, ruptures, loads of gravel in the back, lethargies, cold palsies, raw eyes, dirt rotten livers, wheezing lungs, bladders full of impostume, sciaticas, lime-kilns i’th’ palm, incurable bone ache, the rivelled fee-simple of the tetter and many other discoveries of venereal disease.
Orozco: Why do thou curse me.
The Inmate: Why not, you ruinous butt and whoreson, you indistinguishable cur, you deserve it all.
To the Person who wrote the Sepy is Cool comment, your just a coward as he was fornot osting who u really are,…a JOKE
Claudia, unfortunately the sick and twisted surface from time to time to spread their misery, I am sorry you had to see it.
Your brother has you, vic, Curt and I believe, many others to speak for him and that’s who the rest of us will listen to. My best to you and please accept my belated, heartfelt condolences. I hadn’t seen Curt’s post until you responded to it yesterday, he wouldn’t have written such a glowing tribute if your brother did not live up to it. I know what it’s like to lose a brother, I lost two, it takes a long time to get to a point where you can go a day and then a week, and on without the pain. My best to you, and I hope peace will come. Blessings.
Thank you and I am so sorry for your loss. It still hurts very much,people will never understand unless it happens to them. Again, my condolences to you and May GOD BLESS the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be called sons of GOD
Pipi or watevever his namme is….is stupid and had no life . It’s sad what he did..he will burn in hell I know he will…maybe they called him pipi! Cuz u know hg stands for head fivers and it looked like he had a pipi head and to balls on jos forehead…these gangmembers from Hawaiian gardens are such little scared babys..they need guns to scare people..they need 30 gangmembers to jump someone..there afraid of everything..that’s why they hide in there cheap ass broken down tipis all day and perform homosexual acts with all there stupid gangmembers..they all dress like clowns and look stupid..they look like penis heads..went they need money they go and get there gun and scare people and rob them..that’s the smartest thing they know how to do! Wow very stupid. There mad at there own lifes cuz they can’t get a job or a girl or style or a car or be in school there like evrey stupid gangmember in California . Evrey gangmeber reading this please stop & get a life please grow up everyone thinks gangsters are just pussies!
@mike: You’re stupid. Go die in a fire.