Roll of Honor
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
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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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
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Manuel Anthony Arceo is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 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 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
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.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Manuel Anthony Arceo's cause is highlighted.
How Manuel Anthony Arceo Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Manuel Anthony Arceo is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from El Monte Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
