CASTAIC, Calif.—A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy injured in a fire at a mobile shooting range at the Pitchess Detention Center in October has died, the department confirmed April 21.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department family is devastated to announce the passing of Deputy Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Flores, who after a long battle recovering from his injuries sustained in the line of duty, suddenly passed away last night,” the LASD said in a statement Sunday. “We lost a valued member of our Department who served his community for 22 years with dedication and pride.”
Mr. Flores’s assignments included the North County Correctional Facility, the sheriff’s Altadena station and the Court Services West Bureau.
The training accident occurred on Oct. 10, 2023 at the Pitchess Detention Center, one of the custody facilities at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.
Joe Nunez, the Flores’s family attorney, said the cause of the fire was “the malfunction of equipment during a training drill.”
The fire erupted around 9:30 a.m. that day inside a 53-foot trailer configured as a mobile shooting range.
When firefighters arrived at the facility in the 29300 block of The Old Road, they determined that two injured deputies had been taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital by other deputies. Specific details about the nature and extent of their injuries were not released at that time, with Sheriff Robert Luna saying only that their injuries “are consistent with a fire.”
County fire crews worked throughout the morning to douse the stubborn fire within the trailer, with the unexploded ammunition hampering the effort. The fire was eventually declared a knockdown at 1:20 p.m. and was contained to the single mobile trailer.
The condition of the other injured deputy was not immediately clear.
“On behalf of @lasdhq, we mourn the profound loss of Deputy Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Flores, who tragically passed away last night following a valiant fight for recovery from injuries sustained in the line of duty,” Sheriff Robert Luna posted on X.
“Deputy Flores was not just a colleague but a beacon of strength, earning the respect of both his peers and the community he served. His sudden departure left an immense void in the hearts of all who knew him. Freddy is survived by his wife, children, and parents,” Mr. Luna added.
