Glendale Police are supporting Burbank officers in the aftermath of losing one of their own.
By Darleene Barrientos, News-Press
GLENDALE, Calif. — While Burbank Police officials continue to search for a man suspected of killing one of their rookie officers, Glendale Police are helping when they can, knowing how it feels to lose an officer.
In addition to providing detectives and the Special Response Team for the Burbank investigation, Glendale will patrol Burbank during the funeral of 26-year-old Officer Matthew Pavelka, who was killed Saturday after serving 10 months with that department. Glendale Police detectives also helped secure the scene of the shooting Saturday night and served search warrants through Monday evening.
At about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Burbank Police Officer Gregory Campbell, 41, asked the occupants of a black 1999 Cadillac Escalade parked in the lot of a Ramada Inn at 2900 N. San Fernando Blvd. for the car’s registration papers. Suspects Ramon Aranda, 25, and David A. Garcia, 19, both of Sun Valley, did not have the papers and Campbell called for backup. Pavelka arrived and, with Campbell, was walking to the car when police say both suspects came out of their sport utility vehicle shooting at the officers, who fired back. Aranda was pronounced dead at the scene, but Garcia was still at large Monday night.
Pavelka died in surgery late Saturday. Campbell was still in critical condition Monday, but is expected to recover from his injuries.
Glendale Police said they were immediately ready to help Burbank on Saturday, considering the close relationship of the two departments and the support that Burbank gave when Glendale Police Officer Charles Lazzaretto was killed in the line of duty in 1997.
“When Chuck was killed, it was on my watch,” Glendale Police Lt. Don Meredith said. “Burbank was in my office within five minutes, asking, ‘What can we do for you? What do you need?’ ”
The two cities often lend support to each other, sending fire or police units to the other city during emergencies like the brush fire that raged above Burbank in late October.
“We’re right there with Burbank,” Glendale Police Lt. Jim Woody said. “It’s a privilege to help them with this.”
Even though more than six years have passed since Lazzaretto was killed, Pavelka’s death Saturday still had the power to reopen those old wounds.
“There’s been several conversations,” Woody said. “We’ve been talking about Chuck. We were just in shock for several days and trying to deal with that and the reality that someone you worked with is just gone. We really feel for Burbank.”
However, the loss of a police officer at any agency is the loss of a brother, Meredith said.
“We always hurt when a law enforcement officer is killed,” he said. “Campbell is a good friend of mine. Whatever they want, we’re there for them. We all feel the pain — it affects all of us, especially when it’s [a department] we’re so closely allied with.”