Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Rest in Peace, Tony!

Lead Ranger Matt Lyons
National Park Service, Traffic Management - SEKI

June 23, 2024

Hey Tony! Thinking of you brother!

Lead Ranger Matt Lyons
National Park Service / SEKI

June 15, 2024

Seems like yesterday the Good Lord called you home. But sadly this isn't true. We miss you and love you and thank you countless times for your service to OCEANSIDE PD. Always in our hearts, never forgotten

SUSAN JOHNSON
Retired Law Enforcement Dispatcher

June 13, 2024

I knew Tony when he was still in the Navy. I worked with and mentored him while we served onboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).
He was a highly intelligent, motivated, and had a natural leadership quality about him. He presented himself as the ideal sailor. He could have easily been on a U.S. Navy recruitment poster. Unfortunately, we both had to suffer an incompetent and no leadership capability chief petty officer in charge of us. Due to the conflict with this chief, Tony (Petty Officer 2nd Class [FC2]) decided to leave the Navy instead of re-enlisting as he intended to do. We talked for several hours on this topic, and he made the correct choice to leave which I totally agreed with. I helped Tony with his first civilian job resume, which I still have a copy. Of course, as soon as I saw the report on the television, I truly wish I had figured out a way for Tony to re-enlist and to get away from this pathetic excuse of a chief we had. I blame myself to some extent for his death by a low life POS gang banger illegal immigrant who will spend his whole life on death row, and die of natural causes before his sentence is carried out.
As far as Tony's actual death goes, I have read several variations of it. The report I read back then was he was shot three times. All three rounds hit his body armor. Unfortunately, there was design defect in his body armor along the side. One of the rounds entered the left side and damaged his heart. Tony's wife Cindy sued the body armor manufacturer and won a multi-million dollar settlement. She created a foundation in Tony's name with that money.
I miss him a lot!

FC1(SW) Michael Smith
Served aboard USS John C Stennis (CVN 74)

June 13, 2024

Hey Tony! Cindy and I stopped by today. Thinking of you partner. Hard to believe it's been 20 years!

Tá brón orm. Sadness is on me.” –Pádraig Ó Tuama

Detective Matt Lyons, Retired
Oceanside Police Department

November 28, 2023

Thinking of you, partner!

Detective Matt Lyons, Retired
Oceanside Police Department

November 19, 2023

Rest in Peace, Tony!

Detective Matt Lyons, Retired
Oceanside Police Department

July 3, 2023

Those of us that had the opportunity of knowing a fine friend, son, husband, father, remember you always. Always remember Tony you didn't die in vain. Rest in peace your brothers and sisters in blue will walk for you.

Susan C Asabez
Retired Law Enforcement Dispatcher

June 13, 2023

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of your murder, Tony, and I will lead a Moment of Reflection at the monthly luncheon of retired OPD and OFD folks. It seems like yesterday, as we say, that I held your infant son during your memorial ceremony in the OPD parking lot, so Jamie could go to the front of our Family to accept honors for you. I stood next to the towering Jacob last month when we commemorated you and Dan Bessant. Thank you, brother, for making the thin blue line substantially wider by walking the point for our community.

Steve Scarano, Captain/Retired
Oceanside PD

June 12, 2023

Continuing to RIP, Tony!

Chowda
Partner

June 2, 2023

We can not thank Officer Zeppetella and his family enough for his service and sacrifice.

John 15:13

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Ofc. Jesse Minton
Arlington TX PD

December 31, 2022

RIP Tony!

M. Lyons #1093
USMC C.I.D. - Ret., Oceanside P.D. - Ret., & DHS CBP IA - Ret.

December 19, 2022

Rest in peace Officer Zeppetella.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

July 16, 2022

I pray for the hearts of the family; for their healing and forgiveness. I pray for the man who did this; for remorse and repentance. And I pray for our community; for God to show us how to love and overcome evil with good.

Julie Gilchrist
Oceanside Resident

June 16, 2022

Prayers ascend on this anniversary date for Officer Zeppetella' service and sacrifice.

Richard
Grateful citizen often on highway 76

June 14, 2022

RIP Partner!

Examiner Matt Lyons
DHS CBP OPR CAD

June 8, 2022

Never Forgotten!

Examiner Matt Lyons
DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY, CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, IA

September 28, 2021

Always remembered

Cheryl Spotts, dispatcher
OPD

June 13, 2021

It's National Police Week and I'm thinking of you and Danny of course... missing you both still as if it were yesterday.... It was an honor to work with you and I will never forget you... I keep thinking of the night before and all those burglary calls we went on together... we had a lot of laughs that night and I am grateful that I have those memories but my heart still breaks when I think of everything you went through that horrible day... Leonard is there with you guys now, I bet you had one heck of a reunion... not a day goes by that I'm not thinking of all three of you and missing you... you will never be forgotten...

Love,
Shirl

May 11, 2021

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

SA/Matthew Lyons
Friend

March 20, 2021

Tonight, I was thinking of You, Brah.

I have seen so-much Ugliness during my lifetime.

However, the Brutality displayed on that Tragic Night when You left us, remains on my my mind.

May You Rest-in-Peace.......

Semper Fi,
"Major Pain"

Michael B. Parlor

February 28, 2021

RIP - Tony

Detective Chris McDonough
Oceanside

December 28, 2020

God bless you

Mark Mottola

June 13, 2020

Your anniversary is coming up again... I can’t believe it’s been 17 years... still seems like yesterday. I’ve been retired for almost 8 years but your picture in my home office reminds me every day of the sacrifice you made... I often think of the night before and the laughs we shared... your smile is embedded in my memory forever... you are so missed and will never be forgotten... but I’m sure you know how much we all miss you... I bet you and Dan and Leonard had one awesome reunion!!! I can’t wait to see you again one day.... until then I will hold your memory in my heart like I have all these years...

Love,
Shirl

June 9, 2020

Just visited you yesterday.
Never Forgotten!
Officer Tony Zeppetella
EOW: June 13, 2003
Oceanside, California

Matt
Oceanside Police - Retired

June 3, 2020