Parolee Charged With Capital Murder in ‘Execution-Style’ Death of Sergeant: DA



The parolee accused of killing Lancaster sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen in an “execution-style” shooting has been charged with capital murder.

Trenton Trevon Lovell is arrested on Oct. 6, 2016, shortly after he allegedly fatally shot sheriff's Sgt. Steve Owen in Lancaster. (Credit: KTLA)

Trenton Trevon Lovell is arrested on Oct. 6, 2016, shortly after he allegedly fatally shot sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen in Lancaster. (Credit: KTLA)

Trenton Trevon Lovell, 27, was charged Friday, two days after Owen was shot while responding to a residential burglary call. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges.

Lovell appeared Friday at the Antelope Valley Courthouse, where his family members blew kisses and waved to him. Lovell seemed nonchalant in court.

Lovell was convicted of robbery as a juvenile in 2006 and again, as an adult, in 2009, the DA’s office said.

He allegedly shot Owen after the sergeant arrived at a home in the 3200 block of West Avenue J-7 just after noon Wednesday. Owen went around the back of the home to secure it and was “immediately” shot by Lovell, according to Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

“He then stood over him and executed Sgt. Owen by firing four additional rounds into his body,” McDonnell said Wednesday.

Sgt. Steve Owen is shown in photos displayed outside the sheriff's Lancaster Station on Oct. 6, 2016, a day after he was fatally shot. (Credit: KTLA)

Sgt. Steve Owen is shown in photos displayed outside the sheriff’s Lancaster Station on Oct. 6, 2016, a day after he was fatally shot. (Credit: KTLA)

The DA’s office referred to the killing as an “execution-style shooting death.”

Sources told KTLA that Owen was initially shot in the face. He died after being taken to Antelope Valley Hospital.

Lovell was arrested after initially jumping into Owen’s patrol car and ramming it into the vehicle of another responding deputy, who shot Lovell in the torso, authorities said.

Lovell then fled into a home — where two teens were present — and was forced out by a special weapons team. He held the two teens at knifepoint, the DA’s office alleged.

Lovell surrendered without incident after exiting the rear of the home. The teens were physically unharmed.

He was charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegations of murder for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest and murder of a peace officer.

He was also charged with the following: attempted murder with an allegation that he used a patrol car as a deadly and dangerous weapon; possession of a firearm by a felon with priors; two counts of first-degree residential robbery; and two counts of false imprisonment by violence with a knife-use allegation.

Lovell faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, if convicted as charged.

He is being held without bail.

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