Father of two who spent three days in an Azusa police car died of extreme heat, officials say
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A 37-year-old father of two who was found inside a police patrol vehicle outside the Azusa Police Department in March died from extreme heat, according to authorities.Eric Valencia’s death was ruled as accidental and his cause of death was listed as hyperthermia, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.Valencia’s family has called for an investigation to determine why police did not check the parked patrol vehicle at the Azusa police facility and whether Valencia was in a stable condition when he was released after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.“If it was hyperthermia that caused Eric’s death, it’s extremely sad to hear that Eric suffered tremendously in the back of that Azusa police department patrol car for three days before he died,” Michael Carrillo, an attorney for Valencia’s family, said in a statement.“Eric’s family is still grieving this loss and they are shocked and saddened by this finding,” according to the statement.
“This could have been prevented by the simple task of locking the patrol car or looking inside it.We also note that the autopsy did not include a toxicology screening.
We will be investigating why that is, because it leaves significant unanswered questions that need to be addressed.”Surveillance video provided by police shows Valencia after he’s released from jail around 1 p.m.March 23, according to KABC.
He can be seen walking up to a parked patrol vehicle outside the station, getting into the back and shutting the door behind him.Law enforcement vehicles typically cannot be unlocked from the back seats.
California The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the death of a 4-year-old girl who was apparently left inside a hot vehicle in Valley Village.Valencia had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment on March 20 and held over the weekend be...