(L.A.) Erik Torres, 29, Died in a Driveway

Case Number: 2026-05364

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 29-year-old Latino male that occurred in a driveway.

The coroner’s office identified the man as Erik Torres.

Manner of Death: Homicide

Cause of Death: Gunshot Wounds

RIP ERIK TORRES ( April 1, 2026)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Wednesday morning.
 

GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-eriks-joyful-spirit

INCIDENT OVERVIEW

LASD East Los Angeles station received a call at 1:35 a.m. about a suicidal man.

Deputies responded to a home in the 1400 block of South Downey Road.

Torres initially emerged with a gun, retreated back inside, and then came out a second time while firing at deputies.

After the shooting, investigators discovered the handgun Torres used was a weapon that fired blanks.

Because the incident involved a weapon that fired blanks, it is deemed a qualifying event under Assembly Bill 1506, which requires an independent investigation by the California Department of Justice.

Under AB 1506, a person is considered unarmed if they are not in possession of a deadly weapon.

The DOJ classifies replica firearms as objects that are not considered deadly weapons unless they are used in a specific manner likely to produce death or great bodily injury, such as using them as a bludgeon.

Because the blank-firing handgun was not a deadly weapon capable of discharging a metal projectile that could cause death or serious injury, the decedent meets the legal definition of an unarmed civilian.

Description from YouTube Video:

A suspect is dead after Los Angeles County deputies were ambushed in East Los Angeles.

The reporter specifically mentioned the possibility of “suicide by cop.”