Ambushed Los Angeles deputies recovering, require facial surgery after attack
Manhunt intensifies for suspect who shot officers; William La Jeunesse reports.
Officials are now offering a reward of at least $300,000 for information that leads authorities to the gunman who ambushed two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in Compton earlier this month.
The reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the brazen shooter has ballooned by more than $200,000 with the help of public and private donors.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva revealed that one of the two deputies wounded during Saturday’s ambush attack, a 24-year-old man, had been released from the hospital.
DEPUTY SHOT IN COMPTON ATTACK RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL
“He has a long road ahead for recovery,” Villanueva wrote in a tweet announcing the news. “But he's not alone. We, as a community, are in this together.”
The deputy’s partner, 31-year-old Claudia Apolinar, reportedly suffered gunshot wounds to her face and torso but was able to get out of the car with her partner and radio for help. Both are expected to fully recover.
“It’s an extreme situation. She was shot in the face, shot in the upper torso several times,” LASD Lt. Brandon Dean told the Mail. “To have the wherewithal to get yourself out of the vehicle and the line of fire in case it continues, but then to take care of your partner, initiate radio traffic make sure the civilians in the area are safe, it shows a lot about her courage and intestinal fortitude."
Some of the outside donors for the reward include an East Coast-based law firm, which pledged $25,000, according to FOXLA.
Villanueva announced on Wednesday that another $50,000 was provided by a Wyoming-based surgeon “who personally knows how difficult & long the recovery will be for the [two] deputies.”
WOUNDED HERO LA SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ID'D, WAS LIBRARIAN BEFORE JOINING FORCE; REWARD INCREASED TO $200G
“This surgeon from Wyoming wants everyone to know that this horrific attack didn't just affect those in Los Angeles, but it affected everyone in the United States who care about our law enforcement officers,” Villanueva wrote. “It’s not just an L.A. thing, it’s an American thing.”
The sheriff said Tuesday that investigators are pursuing “promising leads” in the search for the gunman, who was recorded on surveillance video.
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Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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