(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.”