LAPD Officer Shot During Attempted Robbery While House-Hunting with His Girlfriend

An off-duty Los Angeles police officer has died after he was shot while house-hunting with his girlfriend on Monday, according to authorities.

Fernando Arroyos, 27, was killed after being shot at least once in the Florence-Firestone area of L.A., according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The victim was transported via police car to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Arroyos was a three-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department who had been assigned to the Olympic Division, which covers Koreatown and Arlington Heights.

"We mourn the loss of Officer Fernando Uriel Arroyos who was killed while off-duty in a senseless act of violence," the LAPD posted in a tweet honoring the fallen officer.

"God bless his family who lost their loved one, & the men and women of the dept during this difficult time," the post concluded.

Los Angeles Police Commissioner William Briggs offered the department's "heartfelt condolences" to Arroyos' loved ones at a police commission meeting on Tuesday.

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Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore confirmed the killing Tuesday during a public police commission meeting. He said Arroyos had the day off on Monday when he and his girlfriend went house-hunting in the area.

The couple had parked and were beginning to cross the street when three men allegedly pulled up nearby and approached the couple. Preliminary investigations show that one suspect displayed a handgun during what Moore described as an attempted robbery.

"The officer yelled for his girlfriend to leave, to run, to go back to the car," Moore said. Arroyos then allegedly engaged in gunfire with the suspects, during which he was struck. The suspects fled the scene in a black pick-up truck as Arroyos attempted to escape.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was alerted of a reported assault with a deadly weapon and a gunshot victim just after 9:15 p.m. local time on Monday, per a department statement. Century Station deputies responding reportedly discovered a wounded Arroyos "lying unresponsive" in an alley.

Moore said Arroyos' girlfriend allegedly attempted to "render aid" to her injured partner until help arrived.

A short time later, the LASD received a report of a second man with a gunshot wound "a few miles away from the original shooting." He was taken to a local hospital, though it is unclear if he or his injuries are related to the LAPD officer's killing.

Five adults — three males and two females — were detained as police investigated the incident. So far, no charges have been filed.

Moore said the guns used by both Arroyos and the suspect have been obtained by police.

Arroyos' former supervisor, LAPD Lt. Rex Ingram, told The Los Angeles Times that the late officer earned a degree in legal studies from the University of California, Berkeley before joining the force.

"He could have gone to law school or FBI like his peers with that education, but he wanted to serve his community and give back," Ingram told the outlet, noting that Arroyos "loved his community" and "was very close to his family."

Ingram also confirmed that Arroyos and his girlfriend were looking to buy a home in the L.A. area. He said the two first met at a dry cleaning business on the southwest side of the city around two years ago.

Describing Arroyos, Ingram said, "This was the humblest and happiest guy I know on the job. This couldn't happen to a nicer person."

Arroyos is survived by his mother, stepfather and girlfriend, according to Moore.