PORTER RANCH (CNS) – Funeral services will be held Tuesday in Porter Ranch for a 28-year-old Alhambra police officer who was killed in a crash with a fleeing vehicle theft suspect.
Officer Alex Sanders was fatally injured around 3 a.m. Nov. 20 at the intersection of Edgewood Street and Valley Boulevard.
Steven Ara Zapata, 27, of El Monte, was driving an allegedly stolen SUV that collided with Sanders’ police cruiser, according to police and prosecutors.
A passenger in the SUV, 42-year-old Gabriela Moreno, was also killed in the crash.
Zapata has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
On Tuesday, Sanders’ family will join Alhambra Police Chief Garrett Kennedy and Shepherd Church Pastor Ave Anaya for a final tribute to the fallen officer, who had been with the department for just eight months and was covering a colleague’s shift when he was fatally injured. He previously served about a year with the Long Beach Police Department.
Representatives from local, state and federal agencies, along with dignitaries and city officials, were also expected to attend Tuesday’s services at Shepherd Church Porter Ranch.
Authorities have not said whether Sanders was involved in the pursuit or responding to it when the crash occurred, or whether his cruiser had its lights and sirens activated.
Both vehicles sustained major damage, with airbags deployed. The Alhambra police SUV came to rest in westbound lanes of Valley Boulevard, west of Edgewood, while the Hyundai SUV ended up in a parking lot behind a fast-food restaurant just west of Edgewood.
Video from the scene showed Sanders appearing unconscious as he was transported in critical condition to Los Angeles General Medical Center, where he died.
Zapata sustained moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he was later arrested.
A second passenger in the SUV, a 52-year-old man whose name was not released, suffered more serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to a hospital, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Sanders is survived by a fiancée, two younger sisters and a brother.
In a statement released shortly after the case was filed, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said, “I am absolutely heartbroken by this devastating incident that claimed the life of Officer Alec Sanders. We honor his courage and his sacrifice, and we hold his loved ones and the Alhambra Police Department in our thoughts. I also express my condolences to Gabriela Moreno’s family during this time. This tragedy is a painful reminder of the risks our officers face every day to keep our community safe.”
The district attorney said his office will “do its job with the strength and resolve this tragedy warrants to hold the individual accountable for their actions.”
Zapata could face up to 80 to 120 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
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