Man shot, killed by police after reportedly lighting fireworks; family speaks out
By Sophie Flay
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DOWNEY, California (KABC) — A family is speaking out after a 29-year-old man was shot and killed by a police officer at his home in Downey.
The incident happened Saturday night near Stewart and Gray Road after officers responded to a report of a “male subject causing a disturbance.”
Witnesses said the man was lighting fireworks in the backyard when he got into an argument with a neighbor.
The Downey Police Department said officers made several attempts to deescalate the situation but the man, identified as Alberto Arenas, pointed what appeared to be a rifle at them.
Arenas’ father, Alberto Sr., says officers shot through his backyard fence. He said he wasn’t home at the time, but his son was drinking and struggled with psychosis and schizophrenia.
“He was a good person. He was a good father. He had his bad things with alcohol but he was a good person,” his father told Eyewitness News.
On his way home, Alberto Sr. called police and told them not to enter the property.
“I told them ‘No, you can’t go and wait until I get there.’ So, I called back around eight times. The last time I called, the dispatch told me just that he fired at them and they fired back.”
Arenas Jr. died at the scene.
In a statement, the police department said: “It was later determined the rifle Arenas was holding during the OlS was an air soft style rifle. As a result, the Department of Justice took over the investigation.”
Arenas said there are no guns in his house and he didn’t know about the air soft-style rifle.
Arenas added that police knew his son had been convicted of a felony and had mental health issues. He believes if they had listened to him on the phone, they could’ve avoided the deadly outcome.
“I didn’t get here in time. If I would’ve gotten here in time, this wouldn’t have happened.”
No officers were injured.
Arenas Sr. says his son was a father of two children, a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old baby. A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family.
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