The newsletter emailed by Capt. William Murphy of the LAPD Northeast Division is usually devoted to the most recent crimes statics and trends. But last week’s Northeast Newsletter took a much more personal tone. Murphy turned part of the report into a tribute to one of his officers, Kenneth Aragon, the 47-year-old father of five who died Dec. 3 in an early morning accident while riding his motorcycle in Atwater Village. The community relations officer was known for his dedication to working with local youth. However, Aragon’s contributions after nearly 20 years on the force have been overshadowed by revelations that he was driving drunk at the time of his death after leaving the bar at the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park. Murphy writes that Aragon, known to many of his fellow officers as Kenny, and his legacy of community involvement should not be overlooked:
was obtaining toys that we could give to needy families this holiday season … Each year we rely on supportive businesses to purchase toys that we can give to these poor families. Unfortunately, many could not afford to support us this year. This did not deter Kenny, he simply gathered up many of our Explorers and went to the local [COSTCO] and Toys R Us and asked for donations of toys from the people who were shopping there. Through his efforts we gathered dozens of toys which we will give away on Saturday, December 19, 2009, at 8 AM, at Northeast Station. We will give them away in his memory.”
The Eastsider publishes stories and news from the northeast corner of the City of Los Angeles and neighboring East Los Angeles. Who is the Eastsider? Where does the Eastsider roam? 