Fresno friends mourn loss of Baton Rouge deputy killed in ambush

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Albert Aguiniga held back tears as he talked about the Baton Rouge deputy who was married and a father of four.

"I don't know," he said. "I can't stop watching the news."

Like the rest of the country, Aguiniga was shocked Sunday morning after learning of the shooting in Baton Rouge that killed two officers and a deputy - and injuring three others.

"There's too much violence now," Aguiniga said. "That's not the answer."

But the story became personal when he got an emotional call from his son who lives in Baton Rouge.

"My son said Brad was one of the officers shot and 20 minutes later he said he passed," he explained.

Brad Garafola was Aguiniga son's best friend.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office has identified him as one of the three victims.

"Not only was he a sheriff's deputy, he was a human being, he was a father, a husband, he was a person and now he's gone," Aguiniga said mournfully.

Aguiniga said his son and Garafola became close when his son moved to Baton Rouge to become a firefighter 10 years ago.

"They always hung out together," he said. "They'd go hunting and they'd do family gatherings. That was one of his best, closest friends."

He got to spend time with the deputy last year while visiting Lousiana for his son's wedding.

"He loved to cook I went to his house and he had a big barbeque and later on he was at my son's wedding and he cooked a big old pot of crawfish," he recalled.

Those are the memories he will remember as he struggles with the tragic loss.