West Covina mourns loss of Off-Duty Police Officer Mathew Oriz

The City is mourning the loss of one our police officers, Officer Mathew Ortiz who passed away unexpectedly while off-duty this morning.

Matthew joined the Marine Corps in July 2015 and served his country until July 2019, when he received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. Upon being discharged from the Marine Corps he decided to follow his family's footsteps and joined the Los Angeles Police Department. He served the city of Los Angeles from September 2019 until August 2022.

Matthew decided to relocate to Texas in September of 2022 and began working for the Grand Prairie Police Department. He worked for the Grand Prairie Police Department until February 2023, when he made the decision to move back home. Matthew began his employment with the West Covina Police Department on July 24, 2023.

While we give our West Covina Police Department time to grieve the loss of one of their fellow officers, we have activated Area D response to our city to ensure continued Police coverage of our community. Until Friday, October 20, 2023 the City of West Covina will be served by surrounding police departments. In addition, the Police Department front lobby will be closed Friday, October 20, 2023 and reopen Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:30 am.

"The people of West Covina value the dedication, strength, and courage of our Police Officers, and, in times of crisis, we relay on those heroes to protect and serve. Today, we offer our deepest condolences to Officer Ortiz's family and to the colleagues in the West Covina Police Department." said Mayor Rosario Diaz