Family and residents demand action after coroner rules Diego Rios’ death a homicide

Members of Diego Rios’ family and scores of residents pressed the Claremont City Council on Feb. 24 after the Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled Rios’ death a homicide, calling for immediate accountability, transparency about missing body‑camera footage and a clear plan for mental‑health crisis response.

Victor Rios, Diego’s brother, told the council “the medical examiner has ruled my brother’s Diego’s death a homicide” and said the coroner identified prone physical restraint and a knee on the upper back as the mechanism of injury. The family has filed a formal complaint alleging violations of “government code 7,286.5,” and Victor Rios asked the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to file criminal charges against officers Benjamin Alba and Joshua Arona.

Other speakers echoed the demand for administrative action. Vanessa, a family member, asked whether the involved officers remain on patrol and urged the council to temporarily remove them while investigations continue. Multiple commenters, including Frances Curry and student groups from local colleges, criticized delays in releasing body‑worn camera footage and said about two minutes of footage was initially missing when video was posted.

City Attorney Alicia Patterson told the council that litigation has been filed and said the city’s ability to comment publicly is limited: “Once litigation is filed, we’re limited in what we can share publicly at this time,” and she explained that two separate independent investigations — the LA County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office — are occurring outside the city’s direct control. Patterson said the council does not decide employment outcomes for the officers and must comply with state law and employee contracts.

Speakers repeatedly pressed for clarity on local mental‑health response. Chloe, reading for Katia Fairbanks, said Tri City’s mobile crisis unit began last July and argued the unit should be called to nonviolent mental‑health calls; City Manager Perry said staff is finalizing a memorandum of understanding with Tri City to clarify coordination and expects to bring an MOU to council within four to six weeks.

Residents also cited procedural concerns about public records and the police commission: commenters said more than 60 public comments related to the case were not posted in advance of a prior meeting, and several asked why a scheduled police commission meeting was postponed. Mayor Stark and council members acknowledged community pain and said they were limited in what they could say while litigation and outside investigations proceed.

The meeting record shows no council vote or formal disciplinary action at this session; speakers urged both local administrative measures (suspension or termination) and criminal review by the district attorney. The family has also filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit, a step Victor Rios described as part of the path to accountability.

The council did not agendize personnel decisions at the meeting and indicated the police commission will hear related matters on its next available schedule. City staff and the attorney said the city will post publicly available documents and updates on the city website as allowed by law.