Police Captain Shot City Clerk 'Multiple Times,' Before Shooting Himself, Seal Beach Police Say

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — Two communities waited to learn the truth behind the double shooting that left north Orange County in shock this week.

Los Alamitos Police Captian Rick Moore and Westeminster City Clerk Amanda Jensen were fatally shot, and preliminary coroner's reports stated that Moore pulled the trigger, shooting Jensen before turning the gun on himself in his Seal Beach apartment. Seal Beach Police Department Sgt. Michael Henderson described the events late Thursday.

"Preliminary (Orange County coroner's autopsy) results have determined that Mr. Moore fatally shot Ms. Jensen three times with his personally owned .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun," Henderson said.
"Mr. Moore died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot. A formal report and toxicology results are pending."

Los Alamitos Police officers struggling to make sense of what happened with their fallen co-worker and his on-again, off- again girlfriend. Both were discovered shot to death in a Seal Beach apartment early Monday.

Their biggest question: Was Los Alamitos Police Captain, 49-year-old Rick Moore, the victim or the suspect in the brutal dual shooting?

Moore's autopsy as performed Thursday along with 37-year-old Amanda Jensen, according to sheriff's Lt. Lane Lagaret.

On Sunday, Seal Beach SWAT teams and police filled the area around a Seventh Street apartment following the 911 call at approximately 7:15 p.m. Sunday. In that 911 call, a woman requested help, but then the line went dead, according to Seal Beach Police Sgt. Michael Henderson.

Witnesses told police they heard several gunshots coming from an apartment in the 100 block of Seventh Street in Seal Beach, he said.

Police thought it might be a barricade situation so they surrounded the apartment, and when SWAT officers could not contact anyone inside they got into the residence and found the bodies, Henderson said.
Jensen was Westminster's city clerk.

According to a neighbor who lives and works as a maintenance man at the 21-unit apartment complex told reporters that Moore had lived there for about four months and described the relationship between the two as "volatile."

Jensen, whose maiden name is Amanda Coats, had a restraining order filed against her on Oct. 2, 1997, by Robert W. Cue III, according to court records.

Garden Grove police were called to a residence where Moore and Jensen were living three times since last year for domestic disputes, according to Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney.

In one call, Jensen was accused of attacking Moore, Whitney said.

A report was submitted to prosecutors but charges were never filed, Whitney said

Los Alamitos Police Department Chief Eric Nunez said he struggled to understand what happened. Most of Moore's co-workers were shocked by the murder-suicide.

"It's just so difficult," Nunez said. "People are confused and they just need some clarity on this issue."

Moore was with the department since January 2000, Nunez said. He received his final promotion in August when he became captain of patrol.

Moore was also an Army veteran, attaining the rank of second lieutenant. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cal State Long Beach.

Moore also served as a board member with a nonprofit organization, Precious Life, that aids "wayward women are pregnant and need help," and also was involved in the city's emergency preparedness operations and was "well connected" with officials at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, Nunez said.

Westminster Mayor Tri Ta said city officials "are deeply saddened about the tragic loss of Amanda Jensen. She was a great city clerk."

Read Also: Los Alamitos Police Captain, City Clerk Found Shot To Death In Seal Beach

City News Service contributed to this report.

Photos courtesy Los Alamitos Police Department, City of Westminster

Updated with Coroner's report, Friday, July 21.