They investigate the motives behind the murder of a Catholic bishop in Los Angeles

() — California authorities are working to identify the motive that led to the shooting death of a Los Angeles-area Catholic bishop over the weekend as the community mourns the loss of a beloved leader.

Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, known for being a peacemaker for his community, was found shot to death in his Hacienda Heights home, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Monday during a news conference.

Authorities arrested Carlos Medina Monday morning in connection with the case after a tip helped investigators narrow the search, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

Medina, whose wife is the Bishop’s housekeeper, was arrested at his home in the Torrance, California area after an hour-long standoff with police.

Medina, 65, has not yet been charged with a crime and authorities did not say what preliminary charges they are currently considering. is trying to find out if Medina has a lawyer.

The informant who brought police to Medina told investigators that the man had been acting strangely and had made comments about the bishop owing him money, according to Luna, who also said he wasn’t sure there was a dispute. between the two.

“It’s something that we’ve heard, and that detectives will have to go out and validate and see if it’s true or not,” Luna said, referring to the alleged dispute over money.

“Our investigation is continuing, which means we will be interviewing multiple witnesses to find out and get a better picture of what happened here,” he added.

As authorities gather information about what may have led to his shooting death, a search of Medina’s home turned up two firearms as well as “other evidence possibly linking Medina to the crime,” Luna said, though he did not explained the details of that evidence.

The weapons allegedly found at the Medina home are being examined by a laboratory to determine if any of them were used in the shooting.

Before the shooting, Medina had worked at the bishop’s house, but Luna did not elaborate on what type of work she did there. Medina’s wife has been fully cooperating with investigators, Luna said.

“My heart is sorry, even though I personally didn’t know the bishop,” Luna said. “This bishop made a huge difference in our community. He was loved.”

O’Connell, 69, was a mainstay in the Los Angeles area. He was known for his compassionate and advocacy work for the immigrant community, as well as other vulnerable groups, including those experiencing homelessness and those in need.

It is not clear how the attacker entered the bishop’s house

The first 911 call related to O’Connell’s death came shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time on Saturday. It was made by a deacon who came to his Hacienda Heights residence, about 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, after the bishop was absent for a meeting, Luna said during Monday’s press conference.

O’Connell was found in bed with at least one gunshot wound to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene, Luna said, adding that the exact time of death is pending investigation. Police did not recover a firearm from the scene, she added.

Police didn’t detect any signs of forced entry at the home at the time, and detectives are investigating how the home was accessed, Luna said.

Neither Medina nor his wife were working that Saturday, according to Luna.

Further investigation showed that surveillance video caught a dark-colored SUV similar to the one Medina was driving pulling into the driveway of the bishop’s home and leaving after a short time, Luna said.

Luna did not say if that was the same SUV that Medina usually drives.

The bishop was considered a pillar of the community

O’Connell’s murder has shocked the Catholic community in Los Angeles, with some members expressing their disbelief at the tragedy and remembering him as a figure who brought people together.

At Monday’s press conference, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez said the community is very saddened to lose O’Connell.

“Every day he worked to show compassion to the poor, to the homeless, to the immigrant and to everyone who lives on the margins of society. He was a good priest and a good bishop and a man of peace,” Gomez said.

O’Connell was also known for his work with the immigrant community, including serving as president of the Southern California Interdiocesan Immigration Task Force, which helped coordinate the local Church’s response to the recent influx of migrants from Central America, according to Angelusa news platform of the Archdiocese.

The Catholic community in Los Angeles mourns the death of Bishop.

“For me, it really is a labor of love,” he said in 2019 referring to his work: “Because this is, I think, what our schools and parishes are about. Not just for unaccompanied minors but for all of our children. There are an epidemic of injured children, even among those who have too much. They feel we have abandoned them. And migrant youth have become a metaphor for our entire society.”

Janice Hahn, the chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said Monday that the bishop was a longtime friend of hers.

“He was known for walking among people,” Hahn said. “He reached out to gang members; he reached out to the homeless; he approached the momentary workers. He was the help of the defenseless and the hope of the hopeless, and he knew that serving God meant serving man, especially the most vulnerable in our society.”

‘s Cheri Mossburg, Camila Bernal, Kelly McCleary, Jennifer Henderson and Amy Simonson contributed to this report.