(L.A.) Joshua Kelley-Eklund, 41, Died in a Grenade Blast

Case Number: 2025-11558

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 41-year-old White/Caucasian male that occurred at a police department.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as Joshua Kelley-Eklund.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Multiple Blast Injuries

RIP JOSHUA KELLEY-EKLUND (May 31, 1984 – July 18, 2025)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Friday.

The decedent was one of three sheriff’s detectives who died in an explosion that happened at a Sheriff’s Department facility at around 7:30 a.m.

2025-11557      VICTOR         LEMUS 40  
2025-11558      JOSHUA KELLEY-EKLUND 41  
2025-11559     WILLIAM        OSBORN 58  

Incident Location: Biscailuz Center

Incident Address:
1060 North Eastern Street, Los Angeles, CA 90063

The previous day, deputies recovered two military-style grenades from a storage bin at an apartment building in Santa Monica after being alerted to the presence of possible explosives. The grenades were believed to have been left behind by a previous tenant and allegedly had been stolen by a U.S. military service member during training. Deputies initially thought the grenades were inert after X-raying them at the scene, and transported them to the training facility for further examination.

The following morning, during what was described as a training exercise, one of the grenades was cut open—at which point it unexpectedly detonated, resulting in the deaths of the three “expert” deputies.

Joshua Kelley-Eklund is survived by his wife Jessica and seven children. His own four children are with his former wife Krysten Eklund, and the other three kids he was living were offspring of his new wife. He was born Joshua Raymond Kelley in Butte County.