July 21, 2025
“They’re the best of the best.”
LA Sheriff Robert Luna on the death of 3 deputies in an explosion on Friday morning.
Why It Matters: This incident marks the deadliest day for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department in more than 160 years – since 1857, according to Sheriff Luna. The deputies worked for an explosive ordinance unit and were reportedly moving explosives at the Sheriff’s Department’s Biscailuz Center Training Academy when the explosion took place.
The LA Times reports: “A grenade was recovered at the Santa Monica apartment complex Thursday, a city police officer told The Times. Michael Kellman, who lives in the building, told The Times that a fellow tenant called the police Thursday after discovering a bag of grenades tucked away in her storage unit. The bomb squad picks up potential explosives across the region on a daily basis, but it’s a situation that’s always fraught with danger because it’s hard to assess the stability of materials and their age, law enforcement sources told The Times.” (Los Angeles Times)
The deputies killed in Friday’s explosion:
- Det. Joshua Kelley-Eklund, who served 19 years, leaves behind his wife and seven children.
- Det. Victor Lemus, who served 22 years, leaves behind his wife, Det. Nancy Lemus, and three daughters.
- Det. William Osborn, who served 33 years, leaves behind his wife, Det. Shannon Rincon, four sons and two daughters.
Learn More:
- ‘Best of the best’: What we know about the 3 L.A. County sheriff’s detectives killed in explosion (LA Times)
Photo Credit: L.A. County Sheriff’s Department
by Jenna Lee, Founder of SmartHER News
