Last week, the City of Los Angeles paused to pay tribute to one of its own. Long-serving LAPD Motorcycle Officer Christopher Cortijo was laid to rest last Tuesday. Officer Cortijo tragically lost his life in a traffic accident earlier this month.
During his career, Officer Cortijo received 130 commendations for police professionalism and was twice named “Officer of the Year.” Officer Cortijo was passionate about life, family and his service to the City of Los Angeles.
And although remembered for all of the above, Officer Cortijo was also a longtime friend of the film industry. Introduced to FilmL.A. in our early days, Cortijo was known around the office for his boisterous laugh and generous nature.
Veteran FilmL.A. staffers shared their memories of Cortijo with eNEWS editors:
“Officer Cortijo was a kind man with a great heart. He stood by the organization during difficult times, and was such a hardworking person. I’m so sad that we lost a great officer and a great person. We will truly miss him.”
Susan Angrisano, Director of Permit Administration
“What I remember most about Chris is his optimistic attitude, his kind smile and his generosity (and of course the donuts would bring us). When FilmL.A. was in its infancy, he was our go-to guy for most things LAPD. He was often the guy we called on to be our eyes and ears on the streets (prior to our Monitor program or the introduction of LAPD Contract Services). I have always considered him a dear friend. I will miss seeing his smiling face light up our office. Rest in Peace, my friend!“
Jodi Strong, Director of Production Planning
“I worked with Chris for so many years it would be hard to capture just one memory. Chris had been around for as long as I can remember. From the beginning, Chris was always available to us if we had questions or needed assistance. He would often come by our office to talk to us about working on-location; his insight and knowledge was truly valuable. Chris was kind, helpful and available 24/7. I will always remember his smile and I will miss his hugs. We are forever grateful to Chris for his long-standing support of FilmL.A., his dedication to his job and his work with industry. He will be truly missed by all…”
Donna Washington, Vice President of Permit Operations
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cortijo family. If you would like to share your memories of Officer Cortijo, please post them in the comments section, below.