Authorities Thursday will honor the memory of Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Harold Blevins of the Temple Station who was fatally shot 60 years ago Thursday by one of two suspects who were robbing a restaurant in an unincorporated county area near Pasadena.
A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the scene of the crime, which is now the site of a Starbucks, at Huntington Drive and San Gabriel Boulevard.
About 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 12, 1957, Blevins and his partner, Deputy Charles Covington, responded to a robbery-in-progress call at Woody and Eddie’s Restaurant, 3007 Huntington Drive.
“They arrived and approached the establishment from the east side,” a sheriff’s statement said. “As Deputy Blevins entered the doorway, he was immediately confronted by one of the two suspects and engaged in a brief struggle before being shot and mortally wounded.
The suspect then fired from the doorway at Deputy Covington, striking him in the chest,” the statement said.
“Deputy Covington, despite being shot, returned fire and struck the suspect, who died at the scene,” the statement said. “Deputy Covington was able to return to their patrol car to retrieve the radio, and broadcast the shooting.”
Assisting units arrested the second suspect, who was sentenced to life in prison. Covington recovered from his injuries and returned to patrol duties at the Temple Station.
—City News Service