In the wake of by an Orange County sheriff's deputy, friends of the Marine said they were bewildered by reports he may have ignored a deputy's commands.
"I know he would never jeopardize the lives of his girls nor ever disobey an order," said Darlene Patino-Rousch of Mission Viejo, who said she studied nursing with Sgt. Manny Loggins Jr. at Stanbridge College in Irvine.
Loggins, 31, was shot in the parking lot of San Clemente High School after exiting his GMC Yukon during a predawn traffic stop. Loggins' two young daughters were in the back seat of the vehicle at the time.
On Thursday, echoing the comments of other friends and colleagues, Patino-Rousch recalled Loggins as "a good Christian and family man who went above and beyond to help those in need."
"Manny was very interested in the medical field," Patino-Rousch said. "He knew he would eventually have to leave the Marines, and he wanted to do something where he could give back."
She said Loggins sometimes gave her rides to school or, when she drove solo, walked her to her car at night.
"There were times when I needed a ride to school and he'd have to leave [his Camp Pendleton home] at 3:30 a.m. to pick me up [because] we'd have to be at clinicals at 6 a.m.," Patino-Rousch said. "This guy would go out of his way."
She said she was nervous about walking through dark parking lots because she had been a victim of a crime 20 years ago, so Loggins always offered to accompany her to her car.
Patino-Rousch said the last time she saw Loggins was before Christmas break. She and her fellow classmates were disappointed when he told them he was going to skip a quarter and didn't show up for clinicals at Centinela Medical Center in Inglewood.
Patino Rousch forwarded the email Loggins sent to his classmates explaining his decision. In it, he wrote:
Hello to all! I know......I know...... I had to withdraw for personal and military obligations [but] everything is fine. I will keep in touch with you all. I hope and pray you all are doing well. Keep up the good work you guys are almost done!
Patino-Rousch said she knew Loggins was thrilled that his wife was pregnant with another child, and she figured that was why he decided to take some time off.
Various sources who have contacted Patch over the last several days said Loggins' wife is now late into her pregnancy.
Patino-Rousch said Loggins told her he planned to finish his education in the next round of clinicals starting in April.
Meanwhile, one of Loggins' former Marine Corps colleagues, Aaron Banks, has created a Facebook page to memorialize the sergeant.
For more details on Loggins' background and how sheriff's officials say the shooting unfolded, click on Patch's previous story:
