About
Meet Alex Villanueva
Alex Villanueva’s mother, Mary Ann, was the daughter of Polish immigrants and his father, Victor, was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Alex was born in Chicago, IL, but the family moved to Rochester, NY. Victor and Mary Ann Villanueva moved Alex and his five brothers and sisters to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The family ran a small print shop in a close-knit and safe community.
After graduating from high school in Puerto Rico, Sheriff Alex Villanueva began a long road to earning his college degrees. Along the way, Villanueva joined the military, moved to Los Angeles, CA, became an L.A. Sheriff’s Deputy, served in the Army National Guard, earned his Doctoral Degree, became an Adjunct Professor, and eventually became our 33rd Sheriff of LA County.
Education
Career
Alex Villanueva is the 33rd Sheriff of Los Angeles County, and he is the first Spanish-speaking sheriff in the county. In 2018, retired sheriff’s lieutenant Villanueva defeated incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell, becoming the first to unseat the incumbent in over 100 years. Sheriff Villanueva also became the first Democratic Sheriff in LA County in almost 140 years.
Alex served our communities as a member of the LA Sheriff’s Department for almost 35 years before becoming Sheriff.
Career at LASD
- Custody, Century Regional Detention Facility.
- Patrol Deputy, East LA.
- Drill Instructor at the Sheriff’s Academy Training Bureau.
- California Army National Guard, Lieutenant (2nd Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment, 40th Infantry Division).
- Sergeant, Lennox and Carson Sheriff Stations, the Community College Bureau, and the Advanced Officer Training unit.
- Watch Commander at the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station
From 2006-2010, Alex was an Adjunct Professor of criminal justice at California State University, Long Beach.
Sheriff Villanueva is married to retired LA County Sheriff Sergeant Vivian Villanueva.
Blogs
Interested in learning more about Alex Villanueva? Click on one of the blogs below and get to know more about him.
