California man, teen charged in murder of off-duty police officer

A man who allegedly shot an off-duty California cop during an attempted carjacking and his teenage getaway driver have been arrested, the district attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced Wednesday.

Carlos Daniel Delcid, 20, has been charged with murder, attempted robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon in the shooting death of 26-year-old Monterey Park Police Officer Gardiel Solorio, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

Solorio had just pulled into a Downey parking lot when Delcid got out of his car and demanded the off-duty officer hand over his belongings, according to police.

When Solorio tried to drive off, Delcid allegedly shot him five times. The officer was pronounced dead at the scene.

Monterey Park Officer Gardiel Solorio (Keith Birmingham/)

“Gardiel was just starting his career in law enforcement and was a rising star who took pride in serving one of our communities when he was tragically murdered,” Gascón said in a statement Wednesday. “Senseless gun violence has once again taken someone who pledged to protect others.”

The 17-year-old driver in Delcid’s car, who has not been publicly identified, has also been arrested and taken to juvenile court. The charges have not been announced.

Solorio, the youngest of 13 children, joined the Monterey Park Police Department in July after graduating from the police academy.

“His dream of becoming a police officer after years of hard work and dedication had finally come to fruition, when life was abruptly taken away due to a senseless act of violence,” his sister-in-law wrote on a GoFundMe.

“He was taken from his family way too soon. He was and has always been true American success story. He was a first-generation college graduate, and the first [of] his family to become [a] police office and brother in law enforcement.”

The DA is seeking life without parole for Delcid.

Delcid has been arrested on felony charges multiple times in the last year, including burglary, domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and intimidating a witness in February, according to the Los Angeles Times.