by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Uncertainty still haunts Diego Rios’s family as they continue to push for answers in the 30-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man’s death after a November 28, 2025 traffic stop by Claremont police.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has not released the cause of death. Case number 2025-18661 is listed as “deferred” at me.lacounty.gov and remains open as of Wednesday.

“Because of the ongoing death investigation, the department cannot disclose what is being conducted by our office or provide a timeframe of when the cases will be closed,” a medical examiner’s office spokesperson wrote in an email Monday. “Please note reports are not available until a few weeks after the case closes. Most Medical Examiner cases close within 90 days. I cannot provide a date. You can continue to check our website for any updates.”

Rios’s older brother Victor Rios Jr. posted the following on social media on January 1: “Diego Rios was a healthy young man. Based on photographs taken of Diego’s body after the coroner’s office released it to the family, Diego has prominent bruising and external injuries throughout his body which suggest POSITIONAL ASPHYXIA which is a fatal condition where bodyweight pressure on the chest or airway and a person’s body position obstructs their breathing, leading to suffocation, often by preventing chest expansion or blocking the airway. After the death of George Floyd by positional asphyxia, police departments across the United States have been trained to avoid similar deaths by positional asphyxia.”

Claremont police did not respond to questions regarding the allegation, citing the ongoing investigation.

“We will not be commenting as the case is under investigation,” wrote Claremont spokesperson Bevin Handel in an email Wednesday. “To make a comment or speculate at this time could affect the integrity of the investigative process.”

Rios Jr. said the family was limited in what it can share with the press.

“Unfortunately, my hands are tied as far as disclosing details regarding the items you asked about,” Rios Jr. wrote in a text Wednesday. “Please understand we’re at a pivotal spot in the ordeal in general and have to tread very carefully. I have given my attorney your info and am sure he’ll reach out in time. I will say we haven’t received any sort of update from any police department. What you see on public releases is what we know.”

It’s unclear if the family plans to pursue legal action against the city or law enforcement agencies. City Manager Adam Pirrie said the city has not yet been served with a lawsuit.

“All we’ve heard from them is the contact they made at the [December 9, 2025] City Council meeting when they came to public comment,” Pirrie said. There, the Rios family pushed for transparency and answers.

Claremont PD did not respond to questions about when new information would be released. The LA County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau is aiding in investigating, with assistance from The LA County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division.

“There is nothing new at this time,” Claremont Police Chief Mike Ciszek wrote in an email. “The case is still under investigation and until the investigation has concluded, there is nothing to release.”

Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Lieutenant German Ochoa said, “We don’t have any new information to release regarding that incident from the investigative perspective of it. We’re doing the in-custody death investigation. I don’t know what [Claremont PD] would desire to do or what the type of information they would like to release on their own other than their press statement. From our perspective, we have to protect the integrity of the investigation, so that’s totally up to them … Unless this goes to court or there’s public records, I don’t anticipate us releasing any additional information.”

He later added, “If there’s an arrest made, that’s public record, right? If there’s court proceedings then that’s public record. Other than that, our investigation usually stays pretty confidential.”

City Attorney Alisha Patterson offered some timeline clarity at the December 9 City Council meeting.

“The laws that you referenced that require transparency of incidents do give quite a bit of time: 45 days in one case, 60 days in another case until of the [district attorney] makes a decision on charging in another case,” Patterson said. “The rationale behind that is to protect the integrity of the investigation and not to release information that could compromise the investigation.”

Monday, January 12 will mark 45 days since the incident; Tuesday, January 27, 60 days.

The incident

At about 3:18 p.m. November 28, 2025, the Claremont Police Department received reports of a “male acting erratically and possibly under the influence of narcotics” near Claremont Boulevard and Andrew Drive, according to a CPD statement released the following day.

“One caller reported that the male entered a vehicle and left the location. As officers arrived in the area, they observed the subject driving and conducted a traffic enforcement stop,” the news release stated. “Based on the subject’s behavior, officers believed he was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. The officers asked the subject to step out of the vehicle, at which point a use-of-force incident occurred.”

The Daily Bulletin’s Anissa Rivera reported, “Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. German Ochoa said the preliminary investigation found the use of force was a controlled takedown after Rios resisted officers trying to handcuff him.”

The CPD statement claimed Rios became unresponsive during the encounter and officers began lifesaving measures. He was later transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Rally for Rios set for Saturday

With the investigation into Diego Rios’ death continuing, friends and family will gather outside Claremont City Hall from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, January 10 to push for transparency.

The family has vowed to “gather every Saturday at Claremont City Hall until meaningful answers are provided,” according to a statement at gofundme.com. “Diego’s family deserves answers. Our community deserves honesty. Justice begins with the truth.”

Days after his death, Rios’ family started a crowdfunding effort at gofundme.com (search “Diego Rios Memorial”) to raise funds for his burial, an independent autopsy, and potential legal action. The family also created a Facebook page to shed light on the case and memorialize Diego Rios. Search “Justice for Diego” at facebook.com.