Juan Abel Escalante, 27

July 12, 2008 1 PM PT

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Juan Abel Escalante, 27, a Latino man, also an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, was killed in a drive-by shooting near Thorpe and Aragon avenues in Cypress Park about 5:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. The deputy was declared dead at the scene.

According to authorities, Escalante was leaving his parent’s home for work at the Men’s Central Jail when a four-door vehicle approached him. Someone from inside the vehicle then fired several rounds, striking Escalante, authorities said. At a morning news conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Escalante was in the process of buying a home in Pomona and that he was a U.S. military veteran. He was a father of three children. Escalante had at least 2 years of service in the department.