Gang Member With Violent Record Arrested In Deputy's Shooting: Sheriff

LOS ANGELES, CA —A man suspected of shooting a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department motorcycle officer in the back Monday has been arrested, authorities announced Tuesday.

Raymundo Duran, 47, was arrested in San Diego County hours after Deputy Samuel Aispuro was shot while stopped at a traffic light in West Covina, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Aispuro, who was saved by his bulletproof vest, is expected to recover.

California Highway Patrol officers arrested Duran on suspicion of DUI and weapons charges, according to police. Homicide detectives interrogated him, and identified him as the suspect in Monday's shooting.

“At the end of the day, we believe we have the suspect responsible for shooting our deputy in custody,” Luna said.

Luna described Duran as a gang member with an extensive criminal history. Authorities believe he acted alone.

At a press conference Tuesday, Luna praised witnesses and law enforcement alike. Witnesses at the scene rushed to the aid of the fallen deputy and provided police with information that helped detectives identify a suspect, Luna said.

"They saw what they saw, got out of their cars and went immediately to aid our deputy," Luna said. "Eventually their information became very important to the investigation that our homicide detectives were conducting."

"So thank you. In our eyes you're heroes. Not only did you help this deputy, but i have a feeling, based on the characters that have been described, you'd do this for anybody who needed help out on the street," Luna added.

"At the end of the day, I am very happy this person is in custody, but I am even more thankful that Deputy Aispuro is doing well and is recovering at home," he said. "He was wearing his bulletproof vest, and we believe it saved his life. The situation could have ended so tragically.

Aispuro, 43, was shot around 2:45 p.m. Monday while he was on his sheriff's department motorcycle in full uniform. The bullet struck Aispuro in the back, but it did not penetrate his bulletproof vest, Luna said.

"Deputy Samuel Aispuro was on duty ... waiting at a red light on his marked LA County Sheriff's motorcycle in the southbound lanes of North Barranca Street at the intersection of East Garvey Avenue here in the city of West Covina when he was shot in the back," said Luna. "I want to repeat that. He was sitting on a marked black and white police motorcycle in full uniform and he was shot in the back."

Aispuro, a 20-year veteran of the department, was briefly hospitalized in stable condition. He is married with two children ages 4 and 2.

The seemingly unprovoked shooting of a sheriff's deputy sent shockwaves through Southern California's law enforcement community.

"It does remind us for our community out there how dangerous the job is in law enforcement," Luna said. "I think we take it for granted these men and women put on a uniform, a badge 24/7, seven days a week and they go out there. When there is gunfire, they run to it. They don't run away from it."

City News Service contributed to this report.