Deadly LASD explosion probe expands to Marina del Rey boat

Explosion investigation extends to Marina del Rey

The investigation of the deadly East Los Angeles explosion that killed three deputies has extended to Marina del Rey.

LOS ANGELES - An investigation into an explosion that killed three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in East Los Angeles last Friday has expanded to include a boat in Marina del Rey.

What we know:

On Monday, sheriff's homicide investigators, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Los Angeles Police Department, served a search warrant at the 13900 block of Marquesas Way in Marina del Rey, at a boat docked in the marina. 

It's not clear if authorities found anything on the boat, although video shows a law enforcement official in a suit, carrying multiple bags off the boat. Witnesses told FOX 11, investigators also searched a red vehicle and removed the carpet from the car.

This development follows a continuing investigation into an apartment building in Santa Monica, where several items believed to be grenades, possibly connected to Friday's explosion, were seized on Thursday. 

ATF investigators are reconstructing the incident scene to determine if these devices caused the explosion.

The blast occurred at 7:25 a.m. Friday, July 18 at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in the 1000 block of North Eastern Avenue. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 LA County sheriff's deputies killed in explosion; probe possibly tied to Santa Monica apartment

Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed that detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus, and William Osborn, all from the Special Enforcement Bureau's Arson Explosives Detail, were killed in the explosion. They had more than 70 years of combined experience with the department. 

It is suspected the detectives were killed when evidence collected a day earlier from a Santa Monica apartment building storage bin exploded in the training center's parking lot. 

The sheriff's department confirmed on Monday that detectives recovered items that appeared to be grenades on Thursday at the Bay Street location in Santa Monica. Investigators said they are following all leads and evidence to determine the origin of the devices located in Santa Monica on Thursday.

The department has confirmed that they are investigating this case as a negligent homicide, meaning criminal charges could be brought against the person who owned the grenades. 

ATF agents investigating a boat in Marina del Rey. 

Remembering three fallen deputies  

What they're saying:

Sheriff Robert Luna expressed the department's profound sorrow, stating, "There are no words to express the pain and sorrow we feel. These heroes represented the best of our department, exemplifying courage, integrity and selfless service. This is not only a heartbreaking loss for their families, but for all of us." Luna referred to the department's Special Enforcement Bureau as "the best of the best," and noted, "The individuals who work our arson explosives detail, they have years of training. They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today."

The backstory:

The explosion marks the largest loss of life for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department since 1857, when Sheriff James Barton and members of his posse were ambushed.

Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund joined the LASD in March 2006. He became a field training officer and was promoted to detective in the Narcotics Bureau in 2016. In 2022, he became an arson and explosive investigator with the Special Enforcement Bureau, receiving bomb tech certifications. He is survived by his wife, Jessica Eklund, and their seven children.

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Victor Lemus joined the LASD on July 1, 2003. He worked at Twin Towers Correctional Facility and later transferred to the Century station, where he was a senior training officer and detective. He joined the Special Enforcement Bureau in 2017 as a K-9 handler before becoming an arson and explosive investigator last year. He is survived by his wife, LASD Detective Nancy Lemus, three daughters, and other family members in the department. 

William Osborn graduated from the Sheriff's Academy in February 1992. He served as a patrol deputy and was promoted to detective, receiving commendations for recovering stolen vehicles. In 2016, he transferred to the Training Bureau as an Emergency Vehicle Operations Center instructor, returning to detective work in 2019 as an arson and explosive investigator with the Special Enforcement Bureau. He was described as a "tenured bomb technician." He is survived by his wife, Detective Shannon Rincon, four sons, and two daughters.

What's next:

The investigation into the explosion is ongoing, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the sheriff's department.