Segment of 60 Freeway to be renamed ‘Deputy Isaiah A. Cordero Memorial Highway’
A portion of the Pomona (60) Freeway in Jurupa Valley will be dedicated to a Riverside County sheriff's deputy gunned down during a traffic stop at the end of last year, it was announced today.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 16, jointly authored by Sens. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, R-Beaumont, and Richard Roth, D-Riverside, memorializes Deputy Isaiah Albert Cordero by designating a segment of the 60 between Valley Way and Pyrite Street the "Deputy Isaiah A. Cordero Memorial Highway."
The resolution, which required only legislative approval, without the governor's signature, received final approval Wednesday.
"Deputy Isaiah Cordero's unwavering dedication to serving the people of California will always be remembered as a remarkable legacy,'' Bogh said. "This tragic event serves as a grave reminder of the selflessness and unwavering courage required of peace officers and their loved ones."
Roth praised Cordero for not flinching "from his duty to protect the community."
"He didn't run away from the danger; he ran into it," the senator said.
Riverside Sheriffs' Association President Bill Young expressed gratitude for the effort to enshrine the fallen lawman's name with a "commemorative sign (that) will serve as a long-lasting reminder of the service of Isaiah."
"Although Isaiah is no longer with us, he will never be forgotten by his brothers and sisters in the Riverside County law enforcement community," Young said.
Cordero, 32, was fatally shot on the afternoon of Dec. 29 in the 3900 block of Golden West Avenue, near Rathke Drive, in Jurupa Valley, his hometown. His was the first line-of-duty death involving a Riverside County sheriff's deputy in 15 years.
The motorcycle deputy had stopped a convicted felon, 44-year-old William S. McKay of San Bernardino, for a traffic violation and was approaching the vehicle when McKay shot him.
The assailant was shot to death less than two hours later during a gunfight on Interstate 15 following a lengthy pursuit involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Cordero began his career as a correctional deputy, working the jails from 2014 to 2017. He attended the sheriff's academy again in 2018 to serve as a patrol deputy and was accepted onto the motor unit, where he worked as a patrolman from September to December 2022.
