Overview
- The unresponsive man, found early Thursday in the back seat of a parked patrol car outside the Azusa police station, was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The out-of-service car was awaiting maintenance, and the chief said it had been left unlocked and that the man was not in custody when he entered it.
- Azusa police hired the JL Group to conduct an independent investigation that will examine every step of the incident, including why the vehicle was not locked.
- The county medical examiner is reviewing the death, and police will send the case to the district attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division, which reviews possible police misconduct.
- Police said he was arrested March 20 and released Monday, and they asked for tips to Det. Lt. Steve Sears at 626-812-3200 because how and how long he was in the car remain unclear.