A father of two died in the back of an unlocked police car parked directly outside an Azusa, California, station, his body undiscovered for days despite the vehicle sitting in plain view of officers coming and going from headquarters.
Released From Jail, Found Dead Days Later
Eric Valencia, 37, walked out of the Azusa Police Department on March 23 after being held on DUI and child endangerment charges. Security footage shows him entering an unoccupied patrol car parked in front of the station just minutes after his release. Three days later, on March 26, a maintenance worker hired to clean the vehicle discovered Valencia’s decomposing body in the back seat. Police Chief Rocky Wenrick confirmed Valencia had passed all wellness checks before release and carried a working cell phone with him into the vehicle.
Bodycam footage released by Azusa police shows officers cordoning off the patrol car after the grim discovery. One officer recognizes Valencia immediately upon approaching the vehicle. The footage captures the moment police confirm the identity and begin securing the scene with crime scene tape in the predawn hours. Valencia’s cause of death remains under investigation, and police cannot explain why he entered the vehicle or what led to his death.
Department Faces Hard Questions
Chief Wenrick acknowledged multiple failures in a Monday press conference. The patrol car should have been locked, according to standard procedure. Rear doors of police vehicles typically lock automatically from the inside to prevent escapes during transport. The department is investigating why this particular vehicle remained unlocked and why no officer noticed Valencia’s presence despite the car sitting outside headquarters for three full days. Wenrick stated Valencia showed no signs of trauma during his arrest and received extra food upon release.
Family Demands Accountability
Valencia’s relatives described him as healthy and in good spirits before his death. Attorney Michael Carrillo, representing the family, said they are exploring legal options. The family wants to understand how Valencia remained undetected in a vehicle parked at a police station for days. Carrillo emphasized the family seeks answers about the sequence of events that led to Valencia’s death and why basic security protocols failed. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine Valencia’s cause of death and reconstruct the timeline of events between his release and discovery.