LASD Memorial - Sorensen, Stephen D

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DEPUTY STEPHEN D. SORENSEN
INFORMATION ON INCIDENT AND INVESTIGATION		DPT. SORENSEN'S BIO

Relief Fund:	A RELIEF FUND HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR DEPUTY SORENSEN'S FAMILY. DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO: SHERIFF'S RELIEF FUND #304 (or Stephen D. Sorensen Fund #304) 11515 S. COLIMA ROAD WHITTIER, CA 90604 PLEASE INDICATE ON ENVELOPE: " SHERIFF'S RELIEF FUND - #304"




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INFORMATION ON INCIDENT AND INVESTIGATION: FOLLOW-UP STATUS: THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CORONER POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE HUMAN REMAINS FOUND AS THOSE OF DONALD C. KUECK, THE MAN WHO KILLED DEPUTY STEPHEN SORENSEN. back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/8/03: CURRENTLY, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL ARE ENGAGED IN A BARRICADED SUSPECT SITUATION WITH THE PRIME SUSPECT, DONALD KUECK, MW/52, WHO IS BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF DEPUTY STEPHEN SORENSEN IN THE LAKE LOS ANGELES AREA. INVESTIGATORS ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH KUECK WHO ADMITTED THAT HE KILLED DEPUTY SORENSEN. THE SUSPECT IS BELIEVED TO BE ARMED AND DANGEROUS AND IS WITHIN A CONTAINED AREA CONTROLLED BY MEMBERS OF OUR SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT BUREAU. SHERIFF BACA CONFIRMED THAT THE SUSPECT IS IN POSSESSION OF DEPUTY SORENSEN'S STOLEN SHERIFF'S RADIO WHICH HE USED EARLIER TODAY. IT WAS ALSO LEARNED THAT THE SUSPECT IS IN A DIMINISHED MENTAL STATE, THEREFORE, ADDING TO THE ALREADY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN TO RESOLVE THIS INCIDENT IN A PEACEFUL MATTER. SPECIAL WEAPONS TEAM MEMBERS WERE MET WITH GUNFIRE AFTER THEY ATTEMPTED TO FLUSH SUSPECTED MURDERER DONALD KUECK FROM A SHED LOCATED IN THE REMOTE AREA OF LAKE LOS ANGELES. AT LEAST TWO STRUCTURES WERE SET ABLAZE, PREEMPTING THE EFFORTS OF THE SPECIAL WEAPONS TEAM. THE SUSPECT IS BELIEVED TO BE WITHIN THE CONTAINMENT HIDING IN THE BRUSH. THE SPECIAL WEAPONS TEAMS WILL CONTINUE TO USE ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO CAPTURE DONALD KUECK. AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND DEALING WITH SEVERAL STRUCTURE FIRES, MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S SPECIAL WEAPONS TEAM WERE FORCED TO WAIT UNTIL THE FIRES WERE EXTINGUISHED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THEIR SEARCH FOR DONALD KUECK, THE ADMITTED KILLER OF DEPUTY STEPHEN SORENSEN. A LATER SEARCH OF THE REMNANTS OF THE BURNED STRUCTURES REVEALED THE REMAINS OF A HUMAN BODY. IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE BODY, BELIEVED TO BE THAT OF DONALD KUECK, WAS A HIGH POWERED ASSAULT RIFLE. A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION IS BEING CONDUCTED BY DETECTIVES AND THE IDENTITY OF THE CHARRED HUMAN REMAINS WILL BE CONFIRMED BY THE CORONER'S OFFICE. back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/7/03: THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING THEIR SEARCH FOR THE PRIME SUSPECT, DONALD KUECK, MW/52, WHO IS BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TO THE MURDER OF DEPUTY STEPHEN D. SORENSEN. THE MURDER OCCURRED ON AUGUST 2, 2003, IN THE 21000 BLOCK OF T-8, LLANO. SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT BUREAU IN CONJUNCTION WITH DETECTIVES SERVED A SEARCH WARRANT FOR KUECK IN AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION OF LAKE LOS ANGELES, LANCASTER. THE LOCALE FAILED TO PRODUCE THE SUSPECT, BUT THE COLLECTIVE SEARCH EFFORT AND INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE. back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From 8/5/03: ALL OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY CONTINUES TO MOURN THE LOSS OF DEPUTY STEPHEN SORENSEN. IN THEIR WEEKLY SESSION TODAY, THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A $10,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF SORENSEN'S KILLER. IN THE SAME SESSION, THE BOARD ORDERED THE FLAGS AT ALL COUNTY BUILDINGS LOWERED TO HALF STAFF IN MEMORY OF DEPUTY SORENSEN WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH HE LIVED AND SERVED. THE PRIMARY SUSPECT IN THE CASE, 52 YEAR-OLD DONALD KUECK, IS STILL AT LARGE AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS. ANYONE KNOWING THE WHEREABOUTS OF KUECK IS URGED TO CONTACT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY. MEMORIAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2003, IN LANCASTER. A FUND HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE SHERIFF'S RELIEF ASSOCIATION. DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO "SHERIFF'S RELIEF FUND #304" OR THE "STEPHEN D. SORENSEN FUND" 11515 COLIMA ROAD, WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA, 90604. back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-5-03 THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING THEIR SEARCH FOR THE SUSPECT WHO SHOT AND KILLED DEPUTY STEPHEN D. SORENSEN ON AUGUST 2, 2003, NEAR 165TH STREET EAST AND AVENUE T-8, LLANO. AFTER OBTAINING FURTHER EVIDENCE, INVESTIGATORS HAVE NAMED 52-YEAR-OLD DONALD KUECK AS THE PRIME SUSPECT WANTED FOR THE MURDER OF DEPUTY SORENSEN. ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE WHEREABOUTS OF DONALD KUECK IS URGED TO CALL THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S HOMICIDE AT (323) 890-5500. back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 08-03-03 THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE MURDER OF DEPUTY STEPHEN SORENSEN. DETECTIVES ARE SEEKING THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING DONALD CHARLES KUECK, A 52 YEAR OLD LLANO RESIDENT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT KUECK MAY HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE MURDER OF DEPUTY SORENSEN. KUECK RESIDES IN THE AREA NEAR WHERE DEPUTY SORENSEN'S BODY WAS FOUND AND MAY HAVE WITNESSED THE SHOOTING. DONALD KUECK IS DESCRIBED AS A 52 YEAR OLD MALE WHITE WITH BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES, 6 FEET TALL, AND APPROXIMATELY 180 POUNDS. THE PHOTOGRAPH THAT IS AVAILABLE IS APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR OLD. THE CRIME SCENE IS STILL BEING SEARCHED FOR EVIDENCE TO HELP DETERMINE THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND WHO MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER. ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE WHEREABOUTS OF MR. KUECK OR WHO HAS ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING DEPUTY SORENSEN'S MURDER IS URGED TO CALL SHERIFF'S HOMICIDE BUREAU AT (323) 890-5500. back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 08-02-03 THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING THEIR SEARCH FOR THE SUSPECT WHO SHOT AND KILLED DEPUTY STEPHEN D. SORENSEN EARLIER TODAY NEAR 165TH STREET EAST AND AVENUE T-8, LLANO. THE INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2003, DEPUTY STEPHEN SORENSEN, ASSIGNED TO LANCASTER STATION, WAS CONDUCTING A FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION REGARDING A TRESPASSING CALL NEAR 200 STREET EAST AND PALMDALE BOULEVARD, LLANO. AT THE SAME TIME, LANCASTER STATION PERSONNEL RECEIVED A CALL OF SHOTS FIRED NEAR THE SAME LOCATION. RESPONDING DEPUTIES ARRIVED AND FOUND SORENSEN'S PATROL VEHICLE. DURING A SEARCH OF THE AREA, DEPUTIES FOUND THAT SORENSEN HAD BEEN SHOT IN THE UPPER TORSO. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. IT IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME IF SORENSEN WAS INVOLVED IN A GUN BATTLE. THE SUSPECT IS STILL OUTSTANDING, AND THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING. SORENSEN WAS A TWELVE YEAR VETERAN OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WITH TWELVE YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BEACHES AND HARBORS AS A LIFE GUARD AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN. FOLLOWING THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF BEACHES AND HARBORS BEING ABSORBED BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN 1991, DEPUTY SORENSEN HELD ASSIGNMENTS AT THE PITCHESS DETENTION CENTER, NORTH COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND THE NORTH FACILITY, MIRA LOMA DETENTION CENTER AND THE CRESCENTA VALLEY/ ALTADENA STATION. HE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO LANCASTER STATION SINCE THEN. DEPUTY SORENSEN WAS ASSIGNED AS THE "RESIDENT DEPUTY" IN THE LAKE LOS ANGELES AREA OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. AS A RESIDENT DEPUTY, HE LIVED AND PATROLLED IN A REMOTE AND RURAL AREA OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THIS TYPE OF ASSIGNMENT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON WHO BLENDS BEING FIRM AND FAIR WITH A SPECIAL LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY HE SERVES. HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BY HIS EXTENDED LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AND AROUND LAKE LOS ANGELES. SORENSEN, A PALMDALE (LAKE LOS ANGELES) RESIDENT, IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE CHRISTINE AND TWO CHILDREN.
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