“The outpouring by the Antelope Valley community has remained steady and strong,” Sheriff Jim McDonnell said at a ceremony one year to the day that sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen was shot to death last Oct. 5 as he responded to a young mother’s 911 call reporting a burglary at her apartment building in Lancaster. “Steve Owen was indeed a department leader and had a profound impact in his role as a law enforcement officer.”
The sheriff noted that the freeway signs — which designate a portion of the highway as the Sgt. Steven C. Owen Los Angeles County Sheriff Memorial Highway — are the fourth tribute to the slain 53-year-old veteran law enforcement officer in the area.
The park where the ceremony was held was re-named in Owen’s honor, along with an equestrian center at the Pitchess Detention Center and a horse trail in Antelope Valley, the sheriff said.
Owen’s wife, Tania, who is a Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective, called it “truly an honor and a pleasure for myself and my family to be here today just to see everyone come together today to honor someone that we absolutely love and admire to this day.”
“My husband, Sgt. Steve Owen, was a law enforcement officer to the community, but he was our world, he was my world, my best friend and the love of my life,” she said, calling him a “father figure and a leader to the men and women he led and a friend to the community.”
Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, who introduced state legislation that allowed for a section of the highway to be named in Owen’s honor, called him “one of Lancaster’s finest heroes.”
“I can assure you that the Antelope Valley will never, ever forget Sergeant Owen’s sacrifice,” Lackey said, noting that the slain sergeant was committed not only to enforcing the laws of the land but was also a “very, very dedicated community servant.”
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said Owen “made the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure the safety of our residents and their families, adding that the dedication of a portion of the freeway in Owen’s honor will serve as a continuous reminder of his selfless act, as well as a lesson to us all that we each have the ability to improve our community — much like Steve did every day.”
Later this week, Caltrans workers will install the freeway signs, which were paid for with private funds from the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association.
The sheriff’s Lancaster and Palmdale stations also posted tributes to Owen on Twitter.
“Sun comes up on the 1 year anniversary of our beloved Sgt. Steve Owen. We are here paying our respects,” read a Tweet from the sheriff’s Lancaster station, which showed sheriff’s deputies paying tribute to the slain sergeant.
A Tweet that was posted by the sheriff’s Palmdale station read, “One year ago, we lost a hero. Sergeant Steve Owen’s legacy will always continue to live on in the Antelope Valley.”
Trenton Trevon Lovell, a parolee accused of shooting Owen as he responded to the burglary call and then pumping four additional shots into the veteran lawman once he was down, remains jailed without bail while awaiting a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial on murder and other charges.
Lovell, now 28, allegedly held a brother and sister in a neighboring house in Lancaster at knifepoint after convincing them that he had been robbed and needed help after the shooting, authorities said. The young woman, Nancy Arrowsmith-Hart, secretly texted her mother, who alerted sheriff’s deputies about Lovell’s location, and her brother, Trevor Hart, locked the family’s barking dog in a room where guns were stored, according to the District Attorney’s Office, which honored the two siblings as “courageous citizens” in April.
[Editor’s note: Story updated to include additional details via City News Service.]
Previous related stories:
Highway naming for Sgt. Steve Owen approved
Sgt. Steven Owen Memorial Park dedicated to his family
5 arrested in connection to murder of Sgt. Owen
Parolee pleads not guilty to fatally shooting sergeant
Thousands bid farewell to Sgt. Steve Owen
Parolee charged with murdering Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sergeant
Suspect executed sergeant after wounding him, sheriff says
Sheriff’s sergeant slain in Lancaster
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Dale says
Does the mayor remember Deputy Pierre Bain? Ya know, the LA County Sheriff killed on his motorcycle in the line of duty several years ago? Where’s his memorial? Where’s his freeway section? Where’s his name labeling everything? When the next deputy is killed, what’s left for their name? The Bain family’s got to be wondering the same thing…
Enough already…
Ray Ray says
I suggest we name the sewage treatment plant after Rex. After all he is full of it.
Alexis says
Deputy Pierre W. Bain Park/Eastside pool.
Alby says
I noticed the Sergeants name on the Harley Davidson building wall as i was driving the 14. I thought that was bad ass.
Athena says
… yet another non-pecuniary entitlement, for the LASD. These frivolous memorials muddles integrity of America’s our property rights foundation. Dedication implies a property right. Our superstructures are public goods — owned, bought and paid for, by hardworking Californians. Our freeways do not belong, to the LASD –
Lae says
huh? ANYONE can get a portion of the highway named in honor of anybody. Robin Williams does, some of our fallen soldiers out here too, firefighters, etc. doing so doesn’t give that individual’s family, employer, or otherwise any semblance of ownership of that portion of the road.
Karen says
Pluck you! Athena what do you care! Worthless mouth mindless brain and ignorant thinker!
Jb says
Two very different people . This guy gave his life serving the community. She gave her life rocking out at country music concert. No disrespect intended though. My sympathies go out to both victims families.
Tim Scott says
Wearing a badge does not necessarily equal serving the community. There’s a lot of different opinions about who Sgt Owens was “protecting and serving.”
AV supporter says
He was protecting and serving R Rex Parris I’ve seen them together for many of years he was just another one of our Rex pairs Thug if you think I’m lying go back and look at old news footage and newspaper clippings this guy was involved in pretty much everything right or wrong
JB says
Well you know what they say about opinions . Give me facts not opinions.
Tim Scott says
Why? You aren’t operating from facts to begin with. You are apparently operating from the opinion “badge equals good guy serving the community.” There is nothing factual in that.
It’s hard not to wonder why Wrecks Parris was so fond of him. Wrecks considers the LASD Lancaster station as his private enforcer squad, and counts on them to ignore the law when it conflicts with his needs. By all appearances Sgt Owen was one of his favorites. That in itself casts some pretty harsh shadow on the guy.
JB says
You really are an idiot! Was I not stating the facts? Was this man not on duty while responding to a 911 call when he was murdered by some scumbag? Be it the person he might have been , the “facts” are plain and simple .
Sergeant F says
Tim gets off on cops. He has hot sheriff of the month magazines and he plays with himself ooh yeah rub that badge! He probably wanted to be a cop but failed the test so he has a blow up cop doll he masturbates too!!!!! Haha or is it a firefighter?
Tim Scott says
F is for Fool?
In Depends says
Sarge:
Without voicing any opinion of the subject of the article, I must say your comment has to be the most infantile, schoolyard-level attack I’ve seen here. Is there a prize for that?
Karen says
I agree it was immature posting. Fool posting. Probably a kid. These forums bring a lot of different people. He was probably hi on marijuana it seems to me that marijuana makes people act immature and stupid. My ex was always high I hated those days. Pray for humanity.
Rich says
Jenny Parks served the community. She also died at the hands of a lunatic.
AV supporter says
That’s because he was one of mayor of Lancaster Goons if you look at old newspaper articles and news footage this guy was pretty much into everything right or wrong
JB says
So true … again i intended no disrespect to anyone who may have known her.
Julian says
Pretty much every person who is working does so for money, first and period. Law enforcement get, in comparison, compensated exceedingly well. Pretty much every person who is working serves the community in some fashion. Teachers, nurses, landscapers, builders, etc.
Law enforcement is not even in the top 10 of dangerous jobs. Many others have more fatalities on the job. Take refuse collector. They most certainly serve the community. When was the last time you saw a memorial for a trash guy killed on the job?
Laughing says
Well if they are killed by a drunk driver a person can get one of these http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/tcd/victims.html
Rich says
They gave this guy a park and a freeway…… I hope they give Jenny Parks at least one Memorial.
@ Rich says
so, why aren’t you making that happen? why are you expecting someone else to do it?