Tommy De La Rosa was a 43-year-old detective with the Fullerton Police Department who was killed on June 21, 1990, during an undercover reverse drug sting in Downey, California. De La Rosa, a ten-year veteran, was posing as a seller in an operation purportedly aimed at selling $4 million worth of cocaine. After being directed into a dead-end by one suspect, Joseph Najera Rodriguez, De La Rosa followed Rodriguez up a driveway and was ambushed by four gunmen who opened fire, mortally wounding him.

Despite sustaining critical injuries, De La Rosa returned fire and fatally wounded Rodriguez. The slaying prompted a large memorial on June 27, 1990, attended by more than 5,000 officers and family members; the service featured a 21-gun salute and a police helicopter flyover in the missing man formation. Three other suspects were later arrested, convicted for their roles in the ambush, and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

De La Rosa was remembered for his bravery and for mentoring at-risk youth, often using his own money to buy treats and encourage school attendance. Does anyone have further information about the operation or knew Detective De La Rosa personally?