Alleged Rifle-Wielding California Cop Killer ID'd As 22-Year-Old Resident

BALDWIN PARK, CA - Authorities have identified the man allegedly responsible for killing a Baldwin Park Police Department (BPPD) officer, injuring another, and killing an innocent victim.

The suspect, according to ABC7, has been identified as 22-year-old Eduardo Roberto Medina-Berumen and he is facing two counts of murder along with other charges including attempted murder and possession of an assault rifle. He is accused of killing Officer Samuel Riveros and an innocent victim identified as Darius Wong, a 43-year-old father of two. Medina-Berumen is currently being held in jail on a $4 million bond. His weapon was recovered at the scene of the shooting, FOX11 confirmed with authorities. 

 Investigators are still trying to determine an official motive for the shooting, but family members of Wong said that the incident happened after he dropped off his wife and kids at a gathering and left to find a parking spot in the area, ABC7 reported. 

Video footage of the area shows Wong walking along the sidewalk on Palm Avenue just after 7:00 p.m. In the footage he walks out of frame, where he turns the corner onto Filhurst Avenue and roughly two minutes after that, four gunshots can be heard in the video. "We just heard, you know, three loud noises. We didn't know it was gunshots," said neighbor Tamara Ayala. "We pulled up the camera and then my mom came outside, and then we saw him lying on the floor."

Neighbors said they believe the shooting may have stemmed from an argument over a parking spot. "One of the neighbors was having a housewarming party. The new neighbors across the street," according to Esther, who lives in the neighborhood. "So the guy, the shooter, came out and told, apparently, the guy that was parking there, 'You cannot park there.' And the guy still parked there, and that's what started the whole process."

Wong's family said he was not involved in that argument, but that he was caught in the crossfire. Ring video shows responding officers returning fire with the 22-year-old gunman as Wong lies lifeless on the sidewalk. That is when Officer Riveros was fatally shot. Officer Anthony Pimentel was also injured during the shooting. He has since been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Riveros was a nine-year veteran of the force who was described as an avid snowboarder and a Dodgers fan who had watched the team play at stadiums across the nation. Since the shooting, tributes for Riveros have poured in. "This is a heartbreaking and deeply devastating tragedy. Officer Riveros made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his community. He, along with Officer Pimentel and their fellow officers, bravely responded to a dangerous call, fully aware of the risks involved," The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) said in a statement.

"His loss is profoundly felt — not only by his family and colleagues, but by the entire Baldwin Park community and law enforcement family," LASD added. Colleagues and friends of Riveros said that he loved his job, and that it was his smile and positive attitude they'll miss the most. A GoFundMe page has since been set up for Wong's family.