The Lompoc Police Department issued a release via Nixle and directly to news outlets on March 7 relaying the death of officer Miguel Grijalva.
Grijalva was found dead outside of Lompoc city limits early that morning, according to the release from the department. He was not on duty at the time, and a preliminary investigation by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office indicated the death may be a suicide.
The release stated that Lompoc Police Department staff was “devastated by this news and are grieving,” and asked locals to keep Grijalva and his family in their “thoughts and prayers.” The Sheriff’s Office took over patrol functions in Lompoc on March 7 to allow officers and staff with the department grieving time with family and friends. Lompoc Police Chief Pat Walsh expressed gratitude for the support in the release.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue the investigation into Grijalva’s death. The officer served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joinging the Lompoc Police Department, according to the release.
This article appears in Mar 9-16, 2017.