Lancaster man charged with murder in…
Lancaster man charged with murder in 'execution-style' slaying of Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Owen
Trenton Trevon Lovell appeared with his public defender John Henderson at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse in Lancaster on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. Lovell is charged with multiple counts for the murder of Sgt. Steve Owen, who worked in Lancaster for the L.A. County Sheriffs Department. (Photo by John McCoy/SCNG)
The Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Superior Courthouse in Lancaster, where murder suspect Trenton Lovell will be arraigned in the shooting death of Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Owen. (Photo by John McCoy, SCNG)
By Ryan Fonseca | rfonseca@scng.com and Wes Woods II | wwoods@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: October 7, 2016 at 4:11 p.m. | UPDATED: August 28, 2017 at 6:01 a.m.
The man authorities say "executed" a L.A. County Sheriff's sergeant responding to a burglary call in Lancaster has been charged with capital murder and could face the death penalty, if convicted.
Trenton Trevon Lovell, 27, was set to be arraigned in Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse Friday for the fatal shooting of Sgt. Steve Owen, but it was postponed until Nov. 14 because Lovell's public defender, John Henderson, wanted to obtain more documents related to evidence in the case.
Lovell appeared in the courtroom behind a glass barrier.
He would at times look down and then out into the courtroom looking for family and friends through the glass.
He said "yes" in a soft-spoken manner when asked questions.
Lovell was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murdering Owen, 53, a 29-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He now faces a charge 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," according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
• PHOTOS: Deputy Sgt. Steve Owen's body escorted to Lancaster
Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake said more charges could be filed, and he did not know yet if he would pursue the death penalty.
Lovell is accused of shooting and killing Owen on Wednesday after the sergeant responded to a call at an apartment complex just after noon at West Avenue J-7, near Antelope Valley College, authorities said.
A gunshot was heard, and a deputy at the front of the building ran in back to find Owen suffering from a gunshot wound. At a Thursday news conference, L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell described the shooting as a "calculated execution," where the sergeant was shot once before the gunman "stood over and executed Sgt. Owen by firing four additional rounds in his body."
The D.A.'s office has also charged Lovell with "one count each of attempted murder with an allegation that he used a patrol car as a deadly and dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon with priors, and two counts each of first-degree residential robbery and false."
If he's convicted as charged, he faces the death penalty or life in prison with the possibility of parole.
After shooting Owen, Lovell unsuccessfully searched his body for his weapon "with the intent to use it to murder the first responding deputy," McDonnell said. Authorities said Lovell left the area and the first responding deputy chased him on foot before Lovell attempted to use Owen's patrol car to leave. Lovell, authorities said, placed the car in reverse and hit a "radio vehicle" before exchanging gunfire with the deputy.
The deputy hit Lovell once in the shoulder but he fled and ran into a nearby home with two teenagers. They were able to escape with the help of a special weapons team but not before texting deputies where the suspect was.
Lovell later surrendered in a back yard.
"He was somebody if you were going to create what we want our deputies to be like, this is one of the individuals who would probably be one of the models," L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said at a press conference Thursday.
Lovell is being held without bail, according to the D.A's office.
Ryan Fonseca | digital news editor
Ryan Fonseca is a digital news editor for the Southern California News Group, working out of the Los Angeles Daily News in Woodland Hills. He earned a B.A. in journalism from California State University Northridge in 2011 and has worked in a diverse mix of L.A. newsrooms, including television, radio, print and documentary outlets. Ryan is also a part-time instructor at his alma mater, teaching journalism students how to effectively use social media to enhance their reporting. He gladly accepts recommendations for craft beer, Mexican food and podcasts. Ryan lives in Pasadena with his wife and two devious cats.
rfonseca@scng.com
Follow Ryan Fonseca	@RyFons
Wes Woods II | reporter
Wes Woods covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Daily News.
wwoods@scng.com
Follow Wes Woods II	@JournoWes