A deputy sheriff and sergeant with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office are being honored for their reaction to a house fire and homicide in Arroyo Grande last year.
"It was something I'd never experienced before," Sergeant Clifton Bird said.
He was one of the emergency workers dispatched to a house fire and homicide in Arroyo Grande in October.
"When we arrived on scene, it was pretty chaotic. We knew that the suspect was still outstanding, so we coordinated efforts to get the person into custody," Sergeant Bird said.
The homicide suspect, identified as Alan Osio, is also believed to have set fire to his parents' house on Spruce Street, police said.
Osio’s father was found inside the home and was declared dead at the scene.
Sergeant Bird worked closely with other responders at the home, including Deputy Sheriff Andrew Mora. The two men took Osio into custody.
"It was a pretty dynamic situation. We were getting hit by fire hoses, water from the fire hoses, there was active fire on multiple houses, it was a very stressful and chaotic scene," Deputy Sheriff Mora said.
He acted quickly, sending his canine companion Mando after Osio.
Mando played a critical role that tragic night doing exactly what he’s been trained to do.
"I truly believe Mando saved the homocide suspect's life because he did have the murder weapon on his person, so using the dog ultimately saved that person's life and prevented him from getting away," said Deputy Mora.
At an award ceremony on Thursday, Sergeant Bird and Deputy Mora were awarded Meritorious Service Medals for their actions that night.
Mando also received a bowl for his contributions.
Undersherriff Chad Nicholson says awarding the men this medal was a "no brainer."
"That's a critical incident that you want to identify: How can we solve this in the least forceful manner possible with mitigating and reducing risks to all involved parties?" he said.
As for Osio's case, he was back in court Thursday where reports from a psychiatrist and two psychologists were reviewed. Osio was found not competent to stand trial based on those reports and criminal proceedings in his case have been suspended, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.
He's due back in court April 10 for a discussion on where he should be housed and treated in an effort to restore his competency.
Osio remains in custody at San Luis Obispo County Jail.
