A suspect in the death of a Catholic bishop is in custody

Archbishop David O’Connell, 50, of Hacienda Heights, LA, died Saturday in what is being investigated as a homicide

The sheriff’s department said Bishop David O’Connell was found dead in his home in the Hacienda Heights neighborhood Saturday in what is being investigated as a homicide.

“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected,” the archbishop added.

The adult male was found dead in the LA suburb of Hacienda Heights at 12:57 pm on Saturday.

O’Connell was a priest in the Los Angeles Archdiocese and was born in County Cork, Ireland. Pope Francis named O’Connell an auxiliary bishop in 2015.

O’Connell worked as an associate pastor in Los Angeles, where he dealt with poverty and gang violence. He worked to restore trust between residents and law enforcement in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Angelus said.

O’connell told Angelus News in 2015 that he loves being the pastor of people who are suffering or facing difficulty.

On Saturday, parishioners gathered at the scene of O’Connell’s death and lit candles in memory of the religious leader, Los Angeles Daily News reporter Clara Harter tweeted.

Immigration attorney Linda Dakin-Grimm said O’Connell was “there for every child and family I have represented. Always. Helping, supporting and being the face of Jesus for many other people.

A Los Angeles Catholic Bishop Whose Work as a Peacemaker for the Poor, the Immigrant, and the Migrant Youths

A man was taken into custody in connection with the shooting death of a Catholic bishop renowned for his work as a community “peacemaker,” the LA County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday.

The leader of the Los Angeles church said he had no words for O’Connell’s death.

Gomez said that Bishop Dave had a great love for the Blessed Mother and was a man of deep prayer. “He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected.

He said that the task force in his opinion is what the schools and parishes are all about. For all our children is something not just for the asylum seekers. There’s an epidemic of hurting kids even the ones with too much. They think we’ve abandoned them. The migrant youths have become a symbol of our society.

I am brokenhearted. I’ve been crying the last few days knowing that he’s not with us to share his inspiration and his prayers.

The Case of Joseph O’Connell at the Central Business Park, New York, April 13, 2015 (Aug. 3/9/2015)

The suspect was arrested by police at his home in the morning after he barricaded himself inside. The sheriff said authorities recovered “firearms and other evidence possibly linking Medina to the crime.” The suspect’s wife is cooperating with the investigation.

“I’ve been around for many years in the same place as the young people who have lost their lives and I haven’t had any issues,” O’Connell told Angelus News in 2015. “I do believe what’s really important is for us to be out in the neighborhoods, to be out with the people.”

State Sen. Bob Archuleta said at the news conference O’Connell “had the ability to walk the streets everywhere he went,” bringing together people from all walks of life — from gang members to clergy members.