Manuel Anthony Arceo

El Monte Police Department — El Monte, CA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 9, 1974

Age 31

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 114 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 4

Incident

Officer Tony Arceo was shot and killed as he and another officer responded to a silent alarm at a pawn shop at 14348 Ramona Boulevard, just half a block from the Baldwin Park Police Department. A man had entered the pawnshop, grabbed a machete, and threatened the proprietress. She offered him money, but the man stated he "just wanted guns to kill cops." The man stepped outside with a rifle she gave him and opened fire on the officers as they approached. Another policeman and a civilian were wounded. Officer Arceo was struck by a ricocheted round fired by another officer. The subject was killed by the other officers who returned fire. On June 18, 1970, Officer Arceo pulled Officer Terry Long from a barrage of bullets during a shootout with a subject who attempted to ambush another officer. Officer Long succumbed to his gunshot wounds on August 22, 2004. Officer Arceo had served with the El Monte Police Department for six years. He was off duty at the time the incident began. He volunteered to help and was responsible for distributing bullet-proof vests to officers who did not have one. He was survived by his parents. That evening, on July 9, 1974, he was to receive a commendation for heroism from the El Monte City Council for rescuing a blind couple from a burning home.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-7B513089
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Manuel is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Arceo gave the El Monte Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the El Monte community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Arceo.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department El Monte Police Department

Type Police Department

Location El Monte, Los Angeles County, CA

Platform Identity empd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 9, 1974

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon Rifle

Military Service

Manuel Anthony Arceo served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1964â1964) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Manuel Anthony Arceo is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At El Monte Police Department, 1 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 20% of this agency's fallen.

El Monte Police Department

of 5 officers

20% Accident

CA — Statewide

719

of 1,837 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident