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Assemblymember Janet Nguyen and colleagues introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 162 to designate a portion of State Highway Route 39 in the City of Huntington Beach as the Officer Nicholas Vella Memorial Highway.
“Our community has come together alongside the police departments throughout the region to mourn the loss of HBPD Officer Nicholas Vella,” said Assemblymember Janet Nguyen. “A 14-year veteran of the department, his presence will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the men and women he served with in our community.”
Officer Nicholas Vella died in the line of duty at 44 years of age on February 19, 2022 in a helicopter crash in Newport Beach. Officer Vella and the pilot were responding to a disturbance call in neighboring Newport Beach when surveillance video from a home captured the helicopter went down in the frigid water. Officer Vella grew up in Southern California and spent 14 years of his life serving the people of Huntington Beach as a police officer and 4 years with the Laguna Beach Police Department (double check this please).
The following members of the California State Legislature have joined onto ACR 162 as co-authors: Assemblymember Petrie-Norris, Assemblymember Choi, Assemblymember Chen, Assemblymember Davies, Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, Senator Umberg, Senator Min, Senator Bates and Senator Newman.
“I’m honored to be able to designate this memorial highway in Officer Vella’s name so that we may never forget his sacrifice or the sacrifices that the men and women in the Huntington Beach Police Department and our law enforcement officers make every day for our community,” said Assemblymember Janet Nguyen.
Officer Vella is survived by his wife Kristi, his daughter Dylan, his parents John and Marcella Vella, and his brother John Arthur Vella. His friends and colleagues will remember Officer Vella as a dedicated public servant and a loving husband and father.
