- Eric Valencia, 37, was found dead in a police vehicle outside the Azusa Police Department after being reported missing.
- Valencia was released from jail days before his discovery, following a DUI arrest.
- Surveillance footage shows Valencia entering an unlocked patrol SUV but he never exited.
- The Azusa Police Department is under investigation for potential policy violations regarding vehicle security.
- Valencia's family was unaware of his death, only learning from a coroner's investigator after filing a missing persons report.
AZUSA, CA — Just two months after a fatal shooting outside the California Science Center, the LAPD find itself under scrutiny once again. The Azusa Police Department is facing intense backlash after a local father, reported missing by his family, was discovered decomposing inside a patrol vehicle parked directly in front of the station. Eric Valencia, 37, had been released from the facility days earlier following a DUI arrest, but he never made it the one mile back to his home.
The "Trap" Outside the Station
Surveillance footage captured the final known moments of Valencia's life. After walking down the station steps with his property and a jail-provided lunch, he wandered toward a line of parked maintenance vehicles. At 12:39 p.m., he opened the rear door of an unlocked SUV and climbed inside.
He was never seen exiting the vehicle. Because police cruisers are standardly equipped with "tactical locks" that prevent the rear doors from being opened from the interior—intended to keep detainees secure—Valencia appears to have been unable to escape once the door closed.
Family Demands Answers
Valencia’s family spent the days following his release searching for him, eventually filing a missing persons report with the very department where he lay deceased. "They never even called me back," a family member stated, noting that they only learned of his death from the coroner's investigator.
Chief Rocky Wenrick acknowledged that the vehicle should have been secured and confirmed that an independent firm would investigate whether department policies were breached. Despite having a functioning cell phone in the car with him, investigators found no record of Valencia attempting to call 911 or his family for help.
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