Suspect arrested in murder of beloved L.A. auxiliary bishop

LOS ANGELES -- A 65-year-old Hispanic man was taken into custody the morning of Feb. 20 by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies as the prime suspect in the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell of Los Angeles.

L.A. County Sheriff Robert G. Luna announced at a news conference Monday afternoon at the Los Angeles County Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. that citizen tips led to the 8:15 a.m. arrest of Carlos Medina, the husband of a housekeeper who had worked at Bishop O'Connell's home in Hacienda Heights, after an all-night search.

Bishop O'Connell, a native of Ireland who spent most of his 43 years as a priest serving in L.A.'s inner city, was found dead in his home on the afternoon of Feb. 18.

The next day, the LA Sheriff's department announced that Bishop O'Connell's death was being investigated as a homicide.

In an emotional press conference, Luna said "my heart grieves" for the death of Bishop O'Connell, based on all the calls of support he received in the investigation over the last 48 hours.

"This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community," said Luna. "He was loved. It is very sad that we are gathered here today about this murder."

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, one of the speakers at the press conference, stopped several times during his remarks to collect himself. At one point, Luna put his arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

"On behalf of our entire community, I want to share thanks for your professionalism and sensitivity," Archbishop Gomez said of the investigation. "It is a sad and painful moment for all of us. Let us keep praying for Bishop Dave and his family, just as he prayed for law enforcement officials."

Born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1953, Bishop O'Connell studied for the priesthood at the former All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1979. After ordination, he served as associate pastor in several parishes and as pastor at St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension, St. Eugene and St. Michael's parishes -- all in south Los Angeles.

There, Bishop O'Connell ministered to a community afflicted by gang violence, poverty, broken families, as well as tensions between locals and members of Los Angeles Police Department and the L.A. Sheriff's Department that eventually boiled over during the LA riots in 1992 that followed the beating of Rodney King by police officers.

The riots broke out during then-Father O'Connell's first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini (1988-98). Bishop O'Connell would later tell how he was in Washington, testifying before a panel on Capitol Hill about violence in urban America, when the riots started. He came home days later to find widespread destruction in much of his parish's territory.

Apart from aiding neighborhood recovery efforts, Father O'Connell pushed to restore trust between the inner-city residents and law enforcement. He and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in people's homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation.

As a pastor, Father O'Connell also saw firsthand the effect of broken families on the community. That inspired him to organize retreats for men -- usually in the mountains -- focusing on how to be good fathers and husbands, something he saw as key to the health of a community.

During his time as auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles, evangelization, pastoral care for immigrants and ensuring the future of his region's Catholic schools were all top priorities for Bishop O'Connell. At the national level, Bishop O'Connell was serving as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

But despite his long list of accolades and accomplishments, Bishop O'Connell was known as a low-key priest with a down-to-earth demeanor who spoke the love of Jesus with his Irish brogue. Those who knew him testify that he seemed most at ease with the people he spent all those years with in south L.A.