Grieving widow scorches Santa Monica after sheriff husband died in grenade explosion

The widow of a sheriff who was blown up and killed by a grenade together with two colleagues final 12 months blames the town of Santa Monica for his demise, in accordance with a brand new lawsuit.

Shannon Rincon alleges bosses ought to have supplied necessary particulars concerning the military-style weapon earlier than it exploded on July 18, 2025, the paperwork declare.

Her husband, deputy William Osborn, 58, died alongside detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, 41, and Victor Lemus, 40, when the explosive detonated in a sheriff’s facility in East Los Angeles.

The grenade had been taken from an condominium complicated on Bay Avenue in Santa Monica the day earlier than on the request of the Santa Monica Police Division, the go well with says.

The following morning, whereas inspecting the gadgets, the three victims — who had been assigned to the LASD Particular Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Element — had been killed, the papers declare. 

The power of the blast shattered home windows and set off automobile alarms 100 toes from the location. The health worker decided Osborn’s reason behind demise was a number of blast accidents.

Rincon claims the town of Santa Monica didn’t present correct data relating to the gadgets earlier than the detonation.

The papers say: “Personnel described, characterised the gadgets as inactive, inert, and protected to move regardless of missing a ample factual foundation.”

They proceed: “Had Metropolis of Santa Monica personnel had moderately investigated, the gadgets would have been handled as dwell and unstable; and the deadly explosion would have been prevented.”

Within the criticism, filed on September 11, Rincon asks for unnamed financial damages and a jury trial.

Earlier this 12 months, Nancy Lemus, the widow of Deputy Victor Lemus and the couple’s two younger daughters,  additionally filed a lawsuit.

Lemus named Los Angeles County, the LA County Sheriff’s Division, Sheriff Robert Luna, Commander Thomas Giandomenico and others as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges Lemus was not correctly skilled to deal with dwell explosive gadgets.

It goes on to say Giandomenico took pictures of Lemus’ stays together with his cellphone after the explosion and later shared them with others for non-investigative functions.

Luna knew concerning the pictures however didn’t confiscate the cellphone, in accordance with the papers. After the tragedy Luna spoke at Lemus’ funeral, the final sufferer from the explosion to be laid to relaxation.

First responders, metropolis leaders, and grieving colleagues lined the route the place the our bodies had been taken from the power to the LA County Medical Examiner’s workplace after the blast.

The three officers served a mixed 74 years with the division and left behind 16 youngsters in whole.

LASD and the town of Santa Monica had been contacted for remark.

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