Monday, May 18, 2026

Altadena Deputies Carry the Torch for Fallen Officers in 300-Mile Relay

[photo credit: Altadena Sheriff’s Station]

The 51-year tradition’s final leg ends where it always does — at the Altadena station

The memorial torch arrived at the Altadena Sheriff’s Station on Sunday May 17 the way it has for more than half a century: carried on foot by deputies running the final leg of a 300-mile relay across Los Angeles County.

The station’s deputies joined approximately 2,000 LASD personnel in the department’s 51st Annual Memorial Torch Relay Run, a three-day event that traverses 56 legs through 23 sheriff’s stations, eight custody facilities, and multiple specialized units, according to the department. The relay, coordinated by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Athletic Association, begins at the historic Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. It ends in Altadena.

Countywide Services Division Chief Jason Wolak initiated this year’s relay, the department said. The event honors peace officers who died in the line of duty while serving communities across Los Angeles County.

The Altadena station, led by Captain Ethan Marquez, serves Altadena, Northeast Pasadena, the Angeles National Forest Mount Wilson area, and Eaton Canyon. In a Facebook post Sunday, the station described the run as “a powerful tradition that brings our community together in remembrance, respect, and service,” according to the station’s social media page.

“Today we ran not only to honor the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, but also to carry forward their legacy of courage, commitment, and dedication to protecting others,” the station said in the post, which identified the event as presented by LASAA.

The relay dates to 1975, when Sgt. Lee Stahl organized the first run after 12 LASD deputies were killed in the line of duty over a five-year span. The tradition has been held annually since, growing into one of the department’s most enduring memorial observances.

At the conclusion of this year’s relay, the torch will be used to light the ceremonial flame at the 57th Annual Los Angeles County Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony, scheduled for May 20 at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center, according to the Professional Peace Officers Association. Eight fallen peace officers will be formally honored at the ceremony.

Among those being recognized this year are three LASD detectives — Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus, and William Osborn — who were killed on July 18, 2025, in an explosion at the Biscailuz facility. The incident was the department’s deadliest since 1857, according to Sheriff Robert Luna. The three detectives, all assigned to the Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Detail, had a combined 74 years of service.

The department described the torch’s significance in a statement: it “signifies the eternal flame of remembrance for all the courageous men and women who lost their lives in service to others across Los Angeles County,” according to a report in the WEHO Times.

The Altadena station also posted a video from the run. In the post, the station wrote that it was “grateful to stand alongside so many deputies, officers, families, and supporters who continue to keep their memories alive.”

The torch has passed through Altadena every year for decades, carried by deputies who receive it from the Crescenta Valley Station and run it to its final stop. The route traditionally enters the community from Woodbury Road, continues north on Windsor Avenue, east on Ventura Street, and north on Casitas Avenue to Altadena Drive, ending at the station at 780 E. Altadena Drive.

The flame does not go out when the run ends. It travels next to the memorial wall.