Deputy David W. March, Los Angeles County Sheriff, Memorial Interchange. Sign located on the 210 Freeway at the 605 Freeway in Irwindale. Shown is the sign on the westbound 210; there is also a sign
on the eastbound 210.
Deputy David March was shot and killed April 29, 2002, after stopping a vehicle in Irwindale, Calif.
The suspect, Armando "Chato" Garcia, a Mexican citizen who had previously been deported multiple times, had told friends that he wanted to kill a police officer during a traffic stop. The suspect intentionally got stopped and waited for Deputy March to get in front of his patrol car so he could open fire, as Deputy March would have no place to take cover. Deputy March was shot several times in the head and chest.
The suspect, who was identified shortly after the shooting, fled to Mexico where he remained for four years. On Feb. 23, 2006, the suspect was arrested in Mexico by U.S. Marshals and Mexican federal agents following a joint investigation. He was extradited back to California and on March 2, 2007. He plead guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Deputy March, a Saugus resident and Canyon High School alumnus, had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 7 years. He is survived by his wife and stepdaughter.