Husband Of Housekeeper Arrested In Los Angeles Catholic Auxiliary Bishop's Shooting Death

David O’Connell, a Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop who was discovered dead in his Hacienda Heights residence on Saturday, has been the subject of an arrest.

Carlos Medina, 65, a resident of Torrance, is the person of interest in the high-ranking Catholic bishop’s death, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Luna said Medina is the husband of O’Connell’s housekeeper and that Medina had “done work” around the residence before.

“Detectives were told by a tipster that they were concerned because Medina was acting strange, irrational and made comments about the bishop owing him money,” Luna said.

The sheriff said Medina drove an SUV similar to one surveillance footage showed in the bishop’s driveway for a short time on the day O’Connell was found. Authorities were alerted Medina had left Los Angeles County Sunday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, Luna said.

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Investigators discovered that Medina had returned to his Torrance home by 2 a.m. Monday, about 25 miles southwest of Hacienda Park, and responding cops took action. “conducted call outs for Medina to surrender, but he refused,” Luna said.

At about 8:15 a.m. Monday, Medina came out of his home and was taken into custody, Luna said.

Two firearms were recovered from Medina’s residence, Luna said, and detectives will examine the firearms to determine if they were used in O’Connell’s death.

The housekeeper, who was not working at the residence on the day O’Connell’s death was discovered, has been contacted by authorities, the sheriff noted.

A tweet from the Arrest Made In the Killing Of Bishop David O’Connell:-

I received last night the devastating news that my dear friend, Bishop David O’Connell, has died. Bishop Dave and I were ordained auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles seven years ago. pic.twitter.com/GWrgLY1hPX

— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) February 19, 2023

“She’s been fully cooperative and assisting the detectives with all the information they have,” Luna said. Homicide detectives arrived at the home in Hacienda Heights, about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, Saturday afternoon to respond to a “shooting death investigation.”

Luna said a deacon went to O’Connell’s home to check on him because O’Connell was late for a meeting, and the deacon alerted authorities.

Arrest Made In Killing Of Bishop David O'Connell

Officers found O’Connell, 69, with a gunshot wound in his upper body, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Luna said. No evidence of forced entry into the house was present.

According to the Vatican News, O’Connell, an Irishman, was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1979. In June 2015, Pope Francis appointed him the auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement Sunday he was “deeply disturbed and saddened” to learn O’Connell’s death was being investigated as a homicide and asked for prayers for his family.

O’Connell was a good friend of Los Angeles, and he showed compassion to those struggling with poverty in the area, Gomez said Monday. “He was a good priest and a good bishop and a man of peace,” Gomez said. “We are very sad to lose him.”

Husband of Housekeeper Arrested In Los Angeles Catholic Auxiliary Bishop’s Shooting Death

Maria Daniel