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A California family is desperately seeking answers following the tragic discovery of a man found dead inside an unlocked police vehicle, mere days after his release from custody.
Eric Valencia, aged 37, was found lifeless in the back seat of a patrol car belonging to the Azusa Police Department. His body was discovered at 4:51 a.m. on March 26 when an employee preparing to clean the car noticed Valencia. Police Chief Rocky Wenrick shared details of the incident during a press conference, highlighting the circumstances surrounding this unsettling event.
Upon discovery, emergency responders from the Los Angeles County Fire Department quickly arrived at the scene and confirmed Valencia’s death. Chief Wenrick noted, “At this stage of the investigation, there were no signs of major trauma observed on Mr. Valencia.” The revelation that Mr. Valencia had been reported missing to the Azusa police department just hours before his discovery only deepens the mystery surrounding his death.
Valencia’s troubles began on March 20 when he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and felony child endangerment. It was reported by Wenrick that at the time of his arrest, Valencia’s blood alcohol content was “more than twice the legal limit.” This detail adds another layer of complexity to the timeline leading up to his untimely death.
Why Was Eric Valencia Arrested?
Police arrested Valencia March 20 on allegations of driving under the influence and felony child endangerment. According to Wenrick, his blood alcohol level had been “more than twice the legal limit” at the time of his arrest.
“During his arrest and while in custody, no force was used against Mr. Valencia,” Wenrick added. “While in custody, Mr. Valencia was cared for, provided three meals a day, and was checked every 30 minutes for health and welfare concerns.”
When the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the case pending toxicology reports, Wenrick said Valencia was released from custody at approximately 12:38 p.m. on March 23. At the time, he was allegedly showing “no apparent signs of distress” and was provided with additional food, the police chief said.
Valencia was seen on surveillance footage released by the department walking out the door and down the station steps. Although Wenrick said he lived just a mile south of the police station, he was seen walking northbound toward some parked patrol vehicles.
He was captured on surveillance video getting into the backseat of one the vehicles, which had been pulled from service for maintenance, at 12:39 p.m. He was never spotted leaving the vehicle, Wenrick said.
“Investigators also determined,” Wenrick added, “that Mr. Valencia had a functioning cell phone with him in the backseat of the patrol unit when he was discovered.”
Investigators were unable to find any evidence to suggest that he had tried to call 911.
It’s unclear how Valencia died. Senior public information specialist for The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner Kelly Vail told Oxygen via email that although an examination on the body has been completed the cause and manner of death had been deferred and was not able to be determined at this time.
“The deputy medical examiner requests additional testing and/or studies in order to make a determination,” Vail added. “Due to the ongoing death investigation, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner cannot disclose what testing and/or studies were requested. Deferred cases can take a few months before a cause of death is determined.”
An investigation is underway to determine whether the police department’s policies and procedures were followed and, according to Wenrick, an independent firm has been hired to review the incident.
“We’re gonna do our best in the investigation to figure out why Mr. Valencia walked out and got in the vehicle,” he said, according to The Los Angeles Times. “Hopefully we’ll be able to provide closure to the family and for our own sake of knowing why that decision was made and why he did what he did.”
Police vehicles are not normally able to be unlocked from the back seat.
Valencia’s sister-in-law Julia McCormick told NBC 4 the family had been concerned for several days and had gone to the police department to try to file a missing persons report.
“Come to find out that he was here in a car the whole time. The whole time,” she said. “We want to know what happened. Please, please, we want answers.”