By Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

The City of Claremont released 18 videos this week related to the November 28, 2025 traffic stop that took place prior to the death of Diego Rios, including body camera footage from the two Claremont Police Department officers primarily involved in the incident.

Video and 911 audio recordings of the incident are at claremontca.gov, search “use of force incidents.”

The ‘critical incident’ video
The 17 minute, 30 second “critical incident” video begins with audio of the two 911 calls to which CPD officers responded.

“There is an individual who is on drugs at the moment and he’s about to get in his car so I need someone to come over here …,” said the first caller.

The second caller said, “On Andrew Drive right by Claremont Boulevard, there’s a man who’s kind of in a Scion … He’s having a psychotic episode, rolling around on the asphalt … screaming and getting in and out his car, but I think he’s about to drive.”

As the video begins Rios, who was 30 and lived in Rancho Cucamonga, is seen laying in the street on Andrew Drive, writhing and screaming intermittently near the 1400 block of Claremont Boulevard. About four minutes later Rios gets to his feet and into his Scion, then drives to the corner of Andrew Drive and Claremont Boulevard, where he comes to a stop at the stop sign.

Claremont Police Department officer Joshua Orona’s car pulls up behind Rios with lights flashing at 3:22 p.m. and instructs him to turn off his vehicle. CPD Corporal Benjamin Alba arrives on the scene at 3:24 p.m.

Orona approaches the Scion and instructs the shirtless Rios to turn off his car and roll down his window. After about a minute of what appears to be confusion on Rios’ part, he rolls down his window. Rios appears agitated, insisting someone is behind him in the back seat of his car. Orona gets Rios to hand him his car keys.

“He’s having like a, some sort of episode or something,” Orona tells Alba.

Alba opens the door to Rios’ car at 3:25 p.m. Both officers lead Rios out of his car and work to handcuff him.

“I will cooperate,” Rios says.

“You’re going to,” Alba says. “You have no option.”

Rios then begins to yell and move his body, and a struggle ensues.

The officers take Rios to the ground and pin him face-down at 3:26 p.m. Alba then briefly places his left arm around Rios’ neck. As Alba holds Rios’ right arm, Orona asks repeatedly for him to give him his left arm so that he can be handcuffed. Rios moves his left arm toward the officers at 3:27 and is handcuffed.

Footage from Orona’s cruiser shows the officers were on top of Rios from 3:26 to 3:28 p.m. During this time, Alba’s knee is on Rios’ back for 1 minute, 55 seconds, and Orona is in a seated position on his lower back for 1 minute and 52 seconds.

Seconds later Orona says he thinks Rios, who is unresponsive, is overdosing.

“Diego? Diego what’s going on,” Orona asks as the officers sit Rios upright. “He’s overdosing. He’s overdosing.” The officers then lay Rios down on his back.

Orona retrieves a first aid kit from his vehicle, and the officers begin administering CPR. At 3:30 p.m. Alba gives Rios a dose of naloxone, or Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal spray administered nasally. The officers continue CPR and administer three more does of Narcan over the next six minutes. LA County Fire Department paramedics arrive at 3:36 and take over.

Rios was then transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

City reacts
The city’s release of information came ahead of the January 27 deadline to do so per California Penal Code Section 832.7. “In response to requests, the City is releasing the officers’ names, 9-1-1 call recordings, call log, officer’s body-worn camera recordings, security videos from adjacent properties, and the supplemental police report to the public,” read a statement at claremontca.gov.

The city’s release reads in part, “On November 28, 2025 at approximately 3:18pm, the Claremont Police Department received two independent 911 calls regarding an individual behaving erratically and about to enter his vehicle. The callers expressed concern about the individual driving in his condition. Officer Joshua Orona conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle fitting the 9-1-1 call description. Officer Orona contacted the driver, Diego Alfonso Rios of Rancho Cucamonga. An additional officer, Corporal Benjamin Alba, also responded. After observing signs that the driver was under the influence, the officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. During an attempt to detain the driver and place him in handcuffs, a struggle ensued and officers took the driver to the ground and handcuffed him. Mr. Rios became unresponsive and life saving measures were immediately performed by Claremont Police Department officers and Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel. Mr. Rios was transported to the hospital and was later pronounced deceased.”

The LA County Sherriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office continue to investigate the incident. When it is complete, “Claremont Police Department will make the findings public when they are available,” according to the CPD news release.

It’s unclear whether Orona and/or Alba remain on the job during the investigation. Claremont Public Information Officer Bevin Handel said the city was not required to release the information.

The LA County Medical Examiner’s office has not yet determined Rios’ cause of death, and a toxicology report is still forthcoming.

Neither the city or CPD have been served with a criminal or civil suit. Members of Rios’ family and their legal counsel, Arnoldo Casillas, did not respond to requests for comment.

Video uploaded to the City of Claremont’s Vimeo page, vimeo.com/cityofclaremontca, includes unedited footage from AMPM at 701 E. Foothill Blvd., Granite Creek Community Church at 1580 N. Claremont Blvd., from a business complex on Andrew Drive, an eyewitness recording the incident, and body camera footage from CPD officers Alba, Orona, Jesus Limon, Joshua Washington, Lt. Matthew Hamill, and footage from their cruisers.