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Sgt. Steve Owen Remembered Six Years After Being Shot And Killed In The Line Of Duty

On Wednesday, Santa Clarita Valley and Lancaster Sheriff’s Station deputies honored fallen Sgt. Steve Owen, who was shot and killed in an execution-style manner while responding to a burglary call exactly six years ago.

Affectionately known as the “Bullfrog” by his coworkers, Owen was well-known and loved for his work ethic and community outreach, according to officials.

“He worked hard, mentored local kids and younger generations of deputies, strongly honored a commitment to family, and loved his wife,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Lillian Peck said in a statement about Owen in 2018.

Owen began his career with the Sheriff’s Department in 1987 and worked at many stations, including the East Facility, the Lynwood Station, and the Antelope Valley Station before being promoted to Sergeant in 2011 and worked as the Lancaster Community Appreciation Project Sergeant until he passed away in 2016.

Owen, a decorated, 29-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, was responding to a reported burglary call with the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station on Oct. 5, 2016 when he was shot and killed on Avenue J in Lancaster.

The suspect, 31-year-old Trenton Trevor Lovell of Lancaster, shot Owen several times as he approached the location and continued as he stood over the victim’s collapsed body, according to officials.

“While responding to the burglary on the 3200 block of West Avenue J-7, Owen had his partner remain in the front of the location while he went around to check the rear,” reads a statement on the Blue Lives Matter page. “As Owens approached the rear of the building, the armed suspect shot him in the face.”

Lovell reportedly proceeded to the front of the building and entered Owen’s parked cruiser. The suspect threw the car in reverse in an attempt to run over another deputy nearby who opened fire.

The suspect ended up colliding with another cruiser, injuring another deputy inside, according to officials.

“He then bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot. He ran into a nearby home which was occupied by two teens,” the Blue Lives Matter statement continues. “One of the teens quickly contacted police to notify them of the suspect’s location. SWAT responded and forced their way into the home but the suspect was able to flee out the back. He jumped a fence and ran into another backyard where he was quickly surrounded by deputies. He was taken into custody. At some point during the event, most likely during the initial collision, he was struck in the torso by a round fired by deputies.”

As a result of the incident, Owen has since received the Sheriff’s Department’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for his active role in safely placing an armed suspect in custody without lethal force.

Lovell was sentenced to life in prison in May after pleading guilty to the first-degree murder of Owen and several additional felony charges.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Zachary Anderson identified Lovell as the man he saw standing over Owen’s body outside the apartment complex during the preliminary hearing, officials said.

During his trial, Lovell admitted to the special circumstance allegation of a peace officer and special allegations of using a firearm to murder Owen, using a patrol car as a deadly weapon during the attempted murder of a second peace officer on scene, using a knife in a robbery and false imprisonment after he fled from the scene of the murder, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office officials.


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Sgt. Steve Owen Remembered Six Years After Being Shot And Killed In The Line Of Duty

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About Linsey Towles

Linsey Towles is currently a sophomore and journalism major at College of the Canyons and graduated from Saugus High School in 2021. She began as an intern at KHTS in Fall 2020 and was hired in June as staff writer for the news team where she covers breaking and feature news.