LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A 20-year veteran deputy who worked in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Parks Bureau died after contracting COVID-19, the department announced today.
The department asked the public to keep the family and loved ones of Deputy Timothy Tellez ``in your thoughts and prayers.''
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he was ``in shock and heartbroken over the loss of one of our dedicated (LASD) family members.''
The department did not disclose when Tellez tested positive for the virus or when he died.
As of Tuesday morning, the agency reported a total of 1,913 employees, including more than 1,200 deputies, had tested positive for COVID-19 since authorities began counting.
More than 1,900 department employees are quarantining due to the virus, according to the department.
Photo: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department