ALHAMBRA (CNS) – Funeral arrangements were pending Friday for a 28-year- old Alhambra Police Department officer killed in a high-speed, two-vehicle crash during a chase that also left a woman dead and two other people injured.
Alec Sanders had been an Alhambra officer for just eight months and was covering the shift of another officer when he was killed around 3 a.m. Thursday in the crash at the intersection of Edgewood Street and Valley Boulevard, APD Chief Garrett Kennedy said.
Sanders, who previously worked for about a year with the Long Beach Police Department, leaves behind a fiancée, two younger sisters and a brother.
Kennedy — speaking at a news conference outside Los Angeles General Medical Center, where the officer was taken after the crash — said Sanders would be “remembered for his dedication, his kindness and positive impact he had on everyone.”
Thursday’s tragedy occurred after officers responded to the area of Valley Boulevard and Fremont Avenue regarding a pursuit, according to police.
It was not immediately clear where the chase began or how long it lasted — or whether Sanders was part of the pursuit or responding to it.
Neither did police immediately announce the reason for the chase. It was also unclear if the officer had lights and sirens on when the collision occurred.
Both the Alhambra police SUV and the second vehicle in the fatal crash — a silver Hyundai SUV — sustained severe damaged, with airbags deployed.
Video from the scene showed the officer appearing to be unconscious as he was taken in critical condition to the hospital, where he later died.
A female passenger in the other vehicle was also killed, authorities said. The woman died at the scene. Officials said she had been ejected. It was unclear if she had been wearing a safety belt.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later identified her as 42- year-old Gabriela Moreno.
Two other men in that vehicle were also injured. A second passenger suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital, while the driver sustained moderate injuries and was being questioned.
According to the California Highway Patrol, which was leading the crash investigation, video from a camera in the cruiser and possibly security video from nearby businesses will help determine the exact sequence of events.
“The driver of the Hyundai, Steven Zapata, a 27-year-old Hispanic male from El Monte, was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries,” the CHP said in a statement.
“A passenger, a 52-year-old Hispanic male, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A second passenger (the woman) … was ejected from the Hyundai and pronounced deceased at the scene,” CHP said in a statement.
Kennedy said the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office would also be involved in the investigation.
Around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, a throng of officers and other first- responders from various agencies went to the hospital and accompanied the van bearing Sanders’ body in a somber procession to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
“He’s known for his unwavering reliability,” Kennedy said of the fallen officer.
“He was the type of officer who responded to every call, whether he was dispatched to it or not. He was just one of those officers. He was passionate about fitness, and he could often be found working out — a habit that was reflected in his discipline, both on and off the job. His intelligence, work ethic and steady presence made him a respected partner and a friend.”
Kennedy said Sanders enjoyed traveling and was a passionate Dallas Cowboys fan.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis requested all county flags be lowered to half-staff in Sanders’ memory.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic collision that occurred this morning during a pursuit in Alhambra, which resulted in the death of Officer Alec Sanders,” Solis said in a statement Thursday.
Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena — a former Alhambra mayor — also mourned Thursday’s events.
“This is a tragic loss of a young public servant who had just recently begun his position with the Alhambra Police Department, but who had already distinguished himself as the kind of reliable police officer who endeared himself to his fellow officers and to his community,” Pérez said.
“As the former Mayor of Alhambra, I know the deep loss this will leave in our close-knit city that stands together in times of loss and grief.”
In addition, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the state Capitol and Capitol Annex to be flown at half-staff in honor of Sanders.
“Jennifer and I offer our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Officer Sanders,” Newsom said in a statement, referring to his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “His exemplary service and unwavering courage reflect the highest ideals of public duty.
“May we continue to honor his life with profound gratitude; never forgetting his ultimate sacrifice.”
ABC 7 reported that Sanders’ death brings to seven the number of Los Angeles County peace officers to die in the line of duty this year — making 2025 the deadliest since 1994 for county law enforcement personnel.
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