Family of man slain by off-duty LAPD officer says ‘Department yet to say anything’

Family members of 37-year-old husband and father of three Hugo Cachua, who was shot and killed by an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer on medical leave late last month, say authorities have yet to explain why their loved one was killed.  

The incident happened on May 30 in Ontario near North Euclid Avenue and West 6th Street as Cachua and off-duty LAPD officer Victor Corral became embroiled in a heated argument after a reported fender bender at around 8:30 p.m.  

Both men exited their vehicles and somehow the situation escalated into a physical confrontation. 

Dashcam video from a passing vehicle captured the two men struggling on a neighborhood sidewalk when three gunshots were suddenly heard. 

Family members said Cachua was unarmed and was shot in the back. At the time, Corral had been on medical leave for about a year, according to the Los Angeles Times, raising questions about why he was allowed to carry a concealed weapon.  

Since the off-duty officer had not been regularly qualifying on the shooting range, per department policy, his concealed-carry privileges should have been withdrawn.  

“The department has yet to say anything about what has happened, why my brother’s life was taken,” Luis Cachua, the victim’s brother, told KTLA. “We have not heard any response from the department, from the officer. They’ve refused any type of interview or any type of questioning.”

The California Department of Justice is leading the investigation, with LAPD saying it is fully cooperating.  

On Sunday, family members and loved ones held a “Justice for Hugo” carwash to raise money. A GoFundMe has also been organized to help cover the cost of funeral expenses.