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Slain Downey Police Officer Was Good Samaritan In His Final Days

DOWNEY (CBSLA.com) —  In his final days, Downey police Officer Richardo Galvez was a good Samaritan.

KCAL9's Tom Wait attended a vigil for the officer, where friends and family remembered him as someone who was always helping others.

The fact he helped so many comes as no surprise to anyone.

"It hits close to home; it could happen to anybody," said Downey resident Vanessa Polanco.

Emotions are still raw in Downey in the wake of Officer Ricardo Galvez's killing on Wednesday night.

Galvez was gunned down in his parking spot as he was leaving the station Wednesday night. Detectives say three young men killed him during a failed robbery.

The memorial outside Downey police headquarters continues to grow.

Wait heard many stories about Galvez's kindness and big heart.

The veteran Marine was known for random acts of kindness. An Instagram post from his account details an encounter with a woman he pulled over.

"So the other night," he wrote, "I came across a woman who touched my heart. During a traffic stop, she was stopped for expired registration. As I asked for all of her information, she told me the reason she had not been able to pay for her registration was because her husband had recently passed away."

Galvez let the woman go with a warning and then this -- "So today I walked into AAA and paid for her expired registration. I am sharing this story with everyone not for recognition. I am blessed and this lady touched my heart," he wrote.

"He was a young gentleman who had a bright future ahead of him. It just makes me sad," says Connie Vega.

"You know they're here to defend and protect us all the time. I think it's ironic they would kill him right in front of the police department, this doesn't make sense," said Luis Vega.

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