John Aguilera, 35

West Covina, California
February 14, 2010

Agencies: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department California LASD | West Covina Police Department California

Cause of death: Shooting


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Last updated: almost 6 years ago

Overview

John Aguilera, a 35-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Sunday, Feb. 14 by a SWAT officer from the West Covina Police Department in the 1800 block of West Badillo Street in West Covina, according to authorities. [An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified the law enforcement official who shot Aguilera as a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's SWAT team.]

The incident began about 10 p.m. Saturday when authorities were contacted about a domestic dispute. When they arrived at the scene, they found Aguilera holding a hostage at gunpoint, said Detective Dan McElderry of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. The hostage was later identified as Rico Sanchez, a friend of Aguilera's who had been staying with him for several weeks, according to detectives.

The standoff lasted until 12:30 a.m. At that point, a SWAT officer from the West Covina Police Department shot Aguilera who was pronounced dead at the scene. Sanchez was unharmed, McElderry said.