Video released by the Azusa Police Department this week shows the moment a man was freed from jail before he stepped into an unoccupied police car where he was found dead days later.
The surveillance video released Monday shows Eric Valencia, 37, after he was released from jail on March 23 around 1 p.m., according toKABC.He walked up to a parked patrol car outside the station. Valencia got into the back of a SUV andshut the door behind him.
Valencia had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment on March 20 and held over the weekend before being released, said Azusa Police Chief Rocky Wenrick at a news conference.
"Mr. Valencia was released from custody with no apparent signs of distress," Wenrick said during the conference,according to KABC."Surveillance video shows Mr. Valencia unlawfully entering the rear seat area of patrol unit 37."
Valencia was initially pulled over for driving without headlights on and police suspected he was under the influence based on signs of watery, bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol in the car, Wenricktold Fox during an interview.
Two children, ages 3 and 11, were in the car with Valencia, Wenrick added. Valencia had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit during his arrest.
Valencia was freed on March 23 and given his property, cellphone and food, according to Wenrick. His body was found inside the unlocked SUV three days later when Wenrick told the fleet maintenance crew to take the patrol cars to get washed.
Valencia's cellphone was found in working order and he never called 911 for help, according to Wenrick.
Officials explained out-of-service vehicles are often parked for days or weeks while awaiting equipment installation. Typically, law enforcement vehicles cannot be unlocked from the back seats.
Advertisement
"We're gonna do our best in the investigation to figure out why Mr. Valencia walked out and got in the vehicle," Wenrick said. "Hopefully we'll be able to provide closure to the family and for our own sake of knowing why that decision was made and why he did what he did."
Valencia's sister-in-law Julia McCormick told NBC4 that his family wants closure.
"Come to find out that he was here in a car the whole time. The whole time," she said. "We want to know what happened. Please, please, we want answers."
Authorities said that the department's out-of-service cars are parked outside while they're waiting for equipment to be installed. Law enforcement vehicles can't normally be unlocked from the back seat.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is conducting an investigation and the cause of death wasn't available.
Valencia's family told KABC that Valencia lived less than a mile away and didn't have any medical conditions.
"They never even called me back. No one at the police department ever called me back to let me know that he was found on Thursday morning. The only phone call I got was from the coroner's investigator to let me know he was already passed," a family member said.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.