Samuel Riveros is the first Baldwin Park officer killed in the line of duty in the department’s history.

As the city prepares to honor Samuel Riveros, the officer who was killed in a shooting in Baldwin Park, friends and colleagues remember him as a hero.

Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE

"He was a close friend of mine, you know, and it breaks my heart. It breaks the community," said Detective Mark Berumen, who once patrolled the streets with Riveros.

Berumen says he was at his 5-year-old's birthday when he received the heartbreaking news.

Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning with NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter. SIGN UP

"We're about to hit the piñata and I started getting phone calls that one of my be

See Full Page