A Lancaster man was sentenced to life in prison Monday after admitting to the murder of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Steve Owen five years ago.
After pleading guilty to the first-degree murder of Owen and several additional felony charges in April, Trenton Trevor Lovell, 31, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
Lovell appeared at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Monday where he was given his sentence upon being charged with one count of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, person present, possession of a firearm by a felon, first-degree residential robbery and false imprisonment by violence, officials said.
During his trial in April, he 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.
The charges come after Owen, a decorated, 29-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, was shot by Lovell execution-style while responding to a reported burglary with the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station on Avenue J in Lancaster.
Lovell allegedly shot Owen several times both as he approached the location and while standing over the victim’s collapsed body, according to officials.
See Related: Santa Clarita, Lancaster Law Enforcement Honor Fallen Sgt Steve Owen One Year Later
“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, an armed suspect shot him in the face.”
Lovell reportedly ran past Owen’s collapsed body and jumped into the sergeant’s cruiser parked at the front of the building. The suspect put 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.
See Related: Man Accused Of Murdering LASD Sgt. Owen Returns To Court
“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.”
During his preliminary hearing in 2018, Lovell pled not guilty.
At the same hearing, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Zachary Anderson identified Lovell as the man he saw standing over Owen’s body outside the apartment complex, officials said.
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