Criminal Suspect Slain in Subsequent Shootout Was Third-Striker, Should Have Been Behind Bars
SACRAMENTO, Calif., December 29, 2022 – Following the deadly shooting of Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Isaiah Cordero this afternoon, Assemblyman Bill Essayli issued the following statement:
“Words cannot describe my outrage following today’s tragic deadly shooting of Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Isaiah Cordero. Tonight I stand with the law enforcement community in honoring Deputy Cordero and mourning his tragic line of duty death. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
“We must do more than mourn; we must take an honest look at how our laws, and their enforcement, led to today’s tragedy. What makes this line of duty death beyond tragic is that it was completely avoidable: the perpetrator was on his third felony strike as of 2021, but instead of 25 years-to-life in prison, a San Bernardino Judge had the discretion to give this career criminal a reduced bail and released him on our streets.
“As a result of California’s soft on crime laws which protect criminals instead of victims, today the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department had its first line of duty death in over 10 years. Although the perpetrator was killed in the subsequent pursuit, justice has not been served. I am committed to fixing our laws so violent career criminals like the one who murdered Deputy Cordero are not allowed back on our streets to terrorize our communities.”
Assemblyman Bill Essayli began his public service career as a Riverside County Deputy District Attorney then as an Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuting several significant criminal cases and bringing justice to victims and their families. Serving now as a lawmaker, Asm. Essayli’s law enforcement background furthers his commitment to making commonsense changes in the law to protect our neighborhoods and men and women in uniform.
Assemblyman Bill Essayli represents the 63rd Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the whole cities of Norco, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and Canyon Lake, as well as portions of the cities of Eastvale, Riverside, and Corona.