Family, friends and colleagues gathered Wednesday to honor the memory of a sheriff's sergeant killed in the line of duty.
The Tejon Park Equestrian Arena in Palmdale was renamed the Sergeant Steve Owen Arena, in honor of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Steve Owen, who was shot and killed Oct. 5, 2016, while responding to a young mother's 911 call about a man burglarizing her apartment.
Trenton Trevon Lovell, who was out on parole when the shooting occurred, was charged with the murder of the 53-year-old sergeant. Police said that after being confronted by Owen, Lovell shot the sergeant and then stood over him, firing four more bullets into his body.
Owen's death triggered an outpouring of grief in his community, with members of the public joining law enforcement officers at his funeral.
"Over time, we continue to have people come out and explain the impact Steve has had on their life in multiple dimensions," LASD Lt. Ron Shafer said at Wednesday's renaming ceremony.
With their daughters by her side, Owen's wife, Tania, remembered the sergeant as someone who "loved enforcing the law on horseback." She said that for Owen, law enforcement was not just a job but a calling.
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"Everything that you have read about Steve, everything is true," she said. "He was a great man, he was a great husband, he was a great father. And he has left a great legacy, not only with his children, but also with the department."
