BY TIANA GOEGEBUER
Eastvale – On Tues., Aug. 12, Lieutenant Patrick Libertone passed away while on duty. A beloved husband, father, friend, and member of the community, Pat will be greatly missed.
Libertone was conducting a traffic stop in the City of Eastvale after a driver had recklessly cut him off. After speaking with the driver of the vehicle, Libertone collapsed on the sidewalk as he was walking back to his patrol car. An off-duty paramedic who happened to be nearby attempted to revive Libertone by commencing CPR and other lifesaving measures until other medical assistance arrived at the scene. Libertone was transferred to Corona Medical Center, where doctors continued to attempt to save his life; however, they were not successful. He was soon afterward pronounced dead due to a massive heart attack that claimed his life.
Libertone lived in Eastvale with his wife and the youngest of his six children. He had served the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 31 years, and was assigned to the Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau before his passing.
Throughout his years of service and involvement within the community, Libertone was the recipient of many awards and recognitions. Beloved by his family, friends, and coworkers, he will continue to be missed by many. At the memorial service, loved ones shared stories about how he was “born to be a cop,” always quick to put the needs of others before his own, and how he loved a good laugh.
Not only are the people that knew Libertone directly feeling the loss of such a great man, but the community has been greatly impacted as well. As a result, many have banded together to provide support to Libertone’s family. On the morning of the services, the community paid respect and showed support to his family by making signs and gathering to see his funeral procession off. Children from the nearby schools stood on the sidewalks waving American flags proudly and holding up signs thanking him for his service.
From the Editor-in-Chief
10-year old Dayton Goegebuer, who was a friend of Lt. Libertone, chose to do a current event presentation for his 5th Grade Class. This is an excerpt from that presentation:
Lt. Patrick L. Libertone was a cop. He died on Aug. 12, 2014. On that day, Lt. Libertone pulled over a reckless driver in the Eastvale area. He went to speak to the driver. When he was done, he was walking back to his vehicle when he suddenly collapsed. He had a heart attack and died immediately. Lt. Libertone lived in Eastvale with his wife and kids. Libertone was a great man, and everyone who knew him would like to see him again, including me.
I chose this topic to write about because Lt. Libertone was a good man who helped a lot of people. I am sad to write about him dying, but glad that he did so many good things in his life. I think I can help his family cheer up because they are close friends, so I could make them happy. I also think that people should be more like Mr. Libertone because he helped so many people.
