Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy passes away after cancer battle

Deputy Norma Sandoval died of cancer on Jan. 28. She is survived by her husband, who is also a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy, and two children.

“Deputy Sandoval was not only an outstanding deputy sheriff, she was an incredible beat partner, heartwarming friend, and loving wife and mother,” read a news release by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Sandoval began her law enforcement career with the U.S. Border Patrol in 2003. She joined the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 2006 and was assigned to the Robert Presley Detention Center after graduating from the RSO Academy.

Two years later, Sandoval was transferred to the Perris Station and assigned to Patrol Operations. Her work quickly caught the attention of her supervisors, and as a result, she was selected to be a field training officer, training several new deputies. Her peers said Sandoval would emphasize officer safety and service above self to her trainees. She received praise from her trainees, peers, and supervisors for her outstanding work.

In 2012, because of her success she had as a field-training officer, Sandoval was assigned to the Ben Clark Training Center as a drill instructor for the Sheriff’s Basic Academy. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, she had high expectations for each recruit, demanding they give 100 percent to the training program. She would take the time to share her unique law enforcement experiences to help the recruits succeed.

One year later, Sandoval was transferred back to the Perris Station. In January 2015 due to her outstanding performance working with young people and at-risk youth, she was assigned to the Youth Accountability Team. Sandoval was later assigned to the Perris Gang Task Force.

If you would like to donate to Sandoval’s family, you can click here for the GoFundMe link.