Vigil held for El Monte police chief Ben Lowry

A vigil was held in honor of a young El Monte police chief who died at 45.

EL MONTE, Calif. - A vigil was held in honor of a young El Monte police chief who died at 45.

Back in late October, the El Monte Police Department announced Ben Lowry died after a battle with cancer.

On Wednesday, the community honored Lowry as friends and colleagues remembered the late police chief.

Lowry joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in 2000 before transferring to the El Monte PD in 2002. In December 2021, Lowry was named interim police chief before being appointed police chief in June 2022.

In lieu of flowers, those looking to donate to help the family can reach out to the El Monte Police Officers Foundation, 10643 Valley Blvd. C274, El Monte, CA 91731. 501 (c) 3 with the TAX ID: 83-3794912.

The police chief's sudden death comes just months after two of the department's officers, Corporal Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, were shot and killed during an ambush in the line of duty.

Back in June 2022, the two officers responded to a call of a stabbing at a motel in El Monte. Upon arrival, a gunman opened fire at the responding officers, killing Paredes and Santana.

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