The city of San Luis Obispo identifies the police detective shot and killed Monday evening at an apartment off south Higuera. He’s 37-year-old Luca Benedetti, who served four years with Atascadero police department before joining San Luis Obispo PD in 2012.
Around five Monday afternoon, officer Benedetti and five other officers responded to an apartment on Camillia court to search the home of a 37-year-old man in connection with a series of commercial burglaries. Instead, 37-year-old Edward Zomara Giron opened fire, killing Benedetti and wounding another officer. Giron killed himself with a fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Detective Steve Orozco was transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. He was released form the hospital.
Flags will be flown at half-staff today in San Luis Obispo. People are also putting blue ribbons on trees and utility polls up to remember the fallen officer, detective Luca Benedetti.