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How Could A Sergeant's Alleged Killer Be In A Program That Worked With Parolees?

LANCASTER (CBSLA.com)  — On Friday, prosecutors filed a capital murder charge against 27-year-old Trenton Lovell for the shooting death of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Steven Owen. Authorities say Owen was shot multiple times in Lancaster Wednesday as he confronted Lovell at a burglary call. Sheriff Jim McDonnell called it a "calculated execution."

Michelle Egberts is the founder of AV East Kern Second Chance, a group that helps former offenders integrate back into society. Egberts, a former offender and parolee herself, met Trenton Lovell last month at a resource fair in Lancaster. She says he told her he was on parole and wanted to find work.

"I cried for both Sgt. Owen and for Trenton," Egberts said. "He {Trenton} has a family to support. He doesn't want to be on welfare."

Egberts says he was supposed to have interviews this week for a warehousing job. She was shocked when she found out that Lovell was arrested for Owen's death, getting into a shootout with another deputy and holding two teens hostage.

"I don't know what happened, what made him snap. What made him have a gun." Egberts said "Because when he came here to my office and home, he didn't have a gun."

Lovell is a parolee with a lengthy criminal record that includes drugs, robbery, resisting arrest and a DUI charge. Egberts says Lovell was trying to get his life back on track while she was working with him but believes he fell back under the influence of drugs.

"He gave up, something happened and he didn't know where else to turn," Egberts said.

If prosecutors decide to seek the death penalty, the charges against Lovell make him eligible if he is convicted. Right now, he is being held without bail.

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