Suspect Arrested in Connection with the Shooting Death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday that a man was taken into custody in connection with the shooting death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell. A news conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) Monday to detail the circumstances of the arrest.

The arrest came after sheriff’s deputies responded to the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue at around 12:57 p.m. Saturday following a medical emergency call. O’Connell was found dead in his home in the Hacienda Heights neighborhood Saturday in what is being investigated as a homicide, the sheriff’s department said.

Multiple law enforcement sources told NBC Los Angeles that the suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was arrested during an operation by the department’s special enforcement bureau. Detectives identified him early in the investigation through unnamed technical means, the sources said, adding the man was located and detained without incident.

O’Connell was a beloved figure in the community, known for his work as a “peacemaker” and for his dedication to the Catholic Church. He was ordained as a priest in 1983 and was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles in 2012.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is expected to provide further details on the arrest at the news conference Monday afternoon. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.