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Cold Case: Searching for "Sharky," Suspected Shooter of Women

Irma Gaxiola, 40, mother and grandmother, was killed in her backyard, allegedly by her daughter's ex-boyfriend four years ago in South-Central Los Angeles, in a case that has sent detectives on a nationwide hunt. They sought the public's help this week in locating their suspect, Rodolfo Diaz, 28, pictured here, who goes by the nickname "Sharky."

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Are there fewer homicides when it rains?

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Dispatch: A Fight Turns Deadly

Two men have been arrested related to the Valentine's Day death of Joseph Mendoza, 22 (listed below), in an unusual case involving a fight, some cars, and the steel gate leading to a hillside hangout between El Sereno and Lincoln Heights.

The site, pictured here, is a popular party spot and a kind of lovers' lane for El Sereno's young people--a vacant piece of property high above the city, known to locals as "Love Hill."

Dispatch: "I've hardly been able to sleep since this happened"

Authorities said today they are now offering a $50,000 reward for information in the investigation of the killing of college student Nicole Harvey on Jan. 26 (earlier postings below). "She loved her job, her family, her church," Harvey's mother, Carmel Miller, told reporters at City Hall news conference. "I've hardly been able to sleep since this happened." New details of the case have been released, including that Harvey called in sick to work that day, and that police believe she may have known her killer.

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Victims, Feb. 9-18: (This is the coroner's official list released Tuesday.)

Stanley Williams, 46

Stanley Williams, 46, a black man, was shot through the head at 1676 E. Kingsley Avenue in Pomona, and died at 12:47 a.m. Feb. 18.

Raul Contreras, 21

Raul Contreras, 21, a Latino man, was shot in the head at 2800 Firestone Blvd. in South Gate and died at 1:40 a.m. Feb. 18.

Contreras and a second Latino man, 20, were injured by gunfire about 1:23 a.m. South Gate police heard shots and rushed to the location, where they found the two victims outside, sheriff's deputies said. They said a fight in a nearby nightclub had spilled out onto the street and culminated in gunfire.

Ricardo Lazarraga, 15

Ricardo Lazarraga, a 15-year-old Latino boy, was shot in the neck Feb. 14 at 1531 E. 46th St. in South-Central Los Angeles, and died two days later in County-USC hospital at 3:30 a.m. Feb. 16.

Police said two male Latino attackers had walked up to Lizarraga on the street at about 8:15 p.m. Apparently mistaking him for a gang combatant, they shot him.

Another boy with a bicycle might have been with or near him at the time of the shooting, but he has not been found. Neighbors described Ricardo as a quiet boy who rarely went outside. "Just a senseless killing," fretted Det. Johnny Villa of LAPD's Newton Division. "The kid was not even a doggone gang member." Police are seeking any information, including anonymous tips. Call (323) 846-6556.

* Update: This case is cleared. Two Latino men or youths were arrested.

Gilberto Garcia, 33

Gilberto Garcia, 33, a Latino man, was shot at 5937 Middleton Street in Huntington Park, and died at 2:26 a.m. Feb. 16.

Police said Garcia and another man were sitting in a car when a man with a handgun walked up to them and fired into the car many times. The suspect then fled in a small, dark imported car. Both victims were transported to a hospital, where one died. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (323) 826-6646 or (323) 826-6611.

Dino Marks, 31

Dino Marks, a 31-year-old Latino man, was shot multiple times at 1754 Cherry Ave. in Long Beach and died at 2:23 a.m. Feb. 16. Police said this was a drive-by shooting. Marks was on the ground when police arrived. Anyone with information is asked to call Long Beach investigators at (562) 570-7244.

Jorge Pacheco, 19

Jorge Pacheco, a 19-year-old Latino man, was shot in the abdomen at 2252 Del Mar Avenue in San Gabriel, and died at 8:17 p.m. Feb. 15.

Albert Chim, 23

Albert Chim, a 23-year-old Latino man, was shot multiple times outside at 7201 Lennox Ave. in Van Nuys and died at 7:38 p.m. Feb. 14.

Police said Chim was crossing out gang graffiti and putting up his own when three assailants, all Latino males, attacked. He was shot several times and died later at a hospital. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (818) 374-0040.

Joseph Mendoza, 22

Joseph Mendoza, 22, a Latino man, was struck by a fence that had been hit by a car at 2907 Amethyst St. in Lincoln Heights and died at 10:51 a.m. Feb. 14. Two men, occupants of the moving car, have been arrested in this case, which remains under investigation. (see above dispatch: "A Fight Turns Deadly")

Update: LAPD Hollenbeck detectives have cleared this case. Homicide charges were filed against the Latino suspects.

Martin Encinas, 23

Martin Encinas, 23, a Latino man, was shot many times at 7010 Marconi St. in Huntington Park and died at 8:37 p.m. Feb. 13. Neighbors heard shots and called police. The officers arrived and found Encinas outside, wounded. They called paramedics to transport him to a hospital, where he died.

Lewis Carter, 35

Lewis Carter, a 35-year-old black man, was shot at 1119 East 88th St. in Florence and died at 10:22 a.m. Feb. 13.

Moussa Haroonian, 43

Moussa Haroonian, a 43-year-old man of Middle-Eastern descent, collapsed and died in an apartment lobby sometime after having a fistfight with another man in the 1441 Veteran Avenue Monday, Feb. 12. Paramedics called to treat the man for injuries had concluded he was not seriously hurt, but he died mysteriously after they left the scene. Medical examiners ruled the case a homicide because Haroonian had some head trauma. But he also had pre-existing medical conditions, and LAPD detectives said district attorneys were unlikely to file a case since the exact mechanism of his death remained murky. This case thus falls into a rare category in which the Coroner has categorized the death as a homicide, but it has not been categorized as such by law enforcement.

Fred Luna, 50

Fred Luna, 50, a Latino man, was shot several times at 1236 East Avenue Q in Palmdale, and died at 8:05 p.m. Feb. 12.

Enrique Cabrera, 16

Enrique Cabrera Jr., 16, a Latino youth, was shot near the intersection of Naomi Avenue and 61st Street in Florence, and died at 6:19 p.m. Feb. 12.

Sheriff's deputies say the teenager was seen arguing with several black men in a dark sport utility vehicle. One of the men shot him, and the sport utility vehicle sped away eastbound on 61st Street. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (323) 890-5500.

Francisco Saucedo, 24

Francisco Saucedo, 24, a Latino man, was shot multiple times by police officers inside the Fair Oaks Manor at 5035 Echo St. in Highland Park, and died at 3:30 a.m. Feb. 11.

Police said the officers were called to a group home for people with mental disabilities; there, the young man attacked one officer with a sharp object, ripping the officer's sleeve. One of the officers then shot him, they said. Read police statement

Jose Millan, 27

Jose Millan, a 27-year-old Latino man, was shot at 10218 Brockway St. in El Monte and died at 1:50 a.m. Feb. 11.

Rondale Smith, 20

Rondale Smith, 20, a black man, was shot at the intersection of Brazil Street and Wilmington Avenue in Compton, and died at 3:35 a.m. Feb. 11.

DeShawn Cunningham, 30

DeShawn Cunningham, 30, a black man, was shot at 840 Rosecrans Ave. in Compton, and died at 12:14 a.m. Feb. 11.

Darryl Ingram, 18

Darryl Ingram, 18, a black man, was shot at 9713 S. Avalon Blvd. in Watts, and died at 5:05 p.m. Feb. 9.

Ingram was walking on the street about 11 a.m. when several suspects drove up in a silver compact or medium-sized car, yelled at him and fired, detectives said. He died hours later at a hospital. Police believe the shooting is related to a gang conflict in the area that has taken four lives over the past 12 months.

* Update: This case has been cleared by LAPD Southeast detectives. A black suspect is in custody.

Robert Zimmerman, 39

Robert Zimmerman, a 39-year-old white man, was stabbed multiple times at 10211 S. Vermont Ave. in Athens and died at 12:05 p.m. Feb. 9.

What would a map of homicides look like?

View the most recent homicide map by clicking here, courtesy of USC professor Michael Quick

(Tan markers indicate homicides from the last week. Click on each marker for details on individual cases. Some computers may take a long time to load this map. Wait, and scroll down if you get a blank screen.)

Homicides year after year are concentrated in the same areas of Los Angeles. The neighborhoods south of the 10 Freeway and east and west of the Harbor Freeway have long suffered disproportionately from homicide. But there are some trends. A dozen years ago, Westlake, just east of downtown Los Angeles, used to have more homicides than any other place in the city, as bodies piled up from gang wars around MacArthur Park. Now, as the map shows, Central Los Angeles has very few homicides. Today, Athens and Florence are particular hot spots. For an account of where this map comes from, click here.

Orange County Victims

One homicide victim to report in Orange County last week:

What is The Homicide Report?

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Cold Case of the Week: "Just So Completely Innocent"

Investigators put out a bulletin requesting the public’s help this week in the killing of Beatriz Estefany Jimenez, 19, a sales representative for a shoe company, who was shot to death in what is known as “the strip” — the narrow section of Los Angeles that connects the city to the port — last fall.

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Orange County Homicides

Beginning this week, the Homicide Report will list homicides from Orange County each week, in addition to those from Los Angeles County.

Orange County has only a fraction of Los Angeles County's per-capita homicide rate, and vastly fewer homicides are committed there than in Los Angeles County. This week there is only one entry on the list. Click below to view.

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Victims, Feb. 3-9, 2007:

Everett Haydal, 37

Everett Haydal, a 37-year-old black man, was shot at 16824 Valeport Ave. in Lake Los Angeles, and died at 3:18 a.m. Feb. 9. Police have identified a suspect in this case: The ex-boyfriend of Haydal's girlfriend, Kenneth Finnel, 29, pictured below. Kinnel is still at large. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (323) 890-5500

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Jace Smith, 36

Jace Smith, a 36-year-old white man, was shot at 13722 Wyandotte St. in Van Nuys and died at 11:19 p.m. Feb. 8.

Jose Perez-Hernandez, 36, AKA Carlos Hernandez, 29

Carlos Hernandez, 29, a Latino man, was shot at B & K Liquor at 9201 State St. in South Gate and died at 7:55 p.m. Feb. 8. The coroner later identified him as Jose Perez-Hernandez, 36.

Shawn Baptiste, 18

Shawn Baptiste, 18, a black man, was shot multiple times in a car at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Orange Grove in Pasadena about 7:53 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 and died the next morning, Feb. 8, in what investigators called a gang related killing. His assailants may have fled in a dark-colored SUV. Anyone with information is asked to call Pasadena detectives at (626) 744-4522.

Eugene Robinson, 34

Eugene Robinson, a 34-year-old black man, was shot several times at 138 S. Catalina St. in Koreatown, and died at 7:38 a.m. Feb. 8. The bullets struck him sometime during the night, police said. A passerby found Robinson's body in the morning and, thinking he was drunk or unconscious, called paramedics, who pronounced him dead at the scene.

The shrine pictured here is scribbled with messages in Spanish mourning Robinson, nicknamed "Shadow." LAPD Rampart Det. Michael Arteaga put out a new plea this September, calling for people to take renewed interest in this still-unsolved murder case. Anyone with information about Robinson, his life, or his killers--including anonymous tips--is asked to call. Det. Arteaga is at (213) 207-2072.

Gerard Hernandez, 27

Gerard Hernandez, a 27-year-old Latino man, was hit by gunfire at 2830 Lancaster Avenue in Boyle Heights, and died at 9:46 p.m. Feb. 7. Police said Hernandez's assailants walked up to him, fired and fled. He suffered several gunshot wounds to the chest and still managed to stumble to the street to get help. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he died.

Richard Angelo Martinez, 26

Richard Angelo Martinez, 26, a Latino man, was shot inside an apartment at 425 E. 3rd St. in Long Beach and died at 8:27 p.m. Feb. 6.

Martinez was one of two male gunshot victims discovered in the unit. He was found dead; his companion was clinging to life and remains hospitalized, although he is no longer listed as critical.

Update: Jose Luis Rodriguez, 34, was arrested and charged in connection to this case.--(3/20/07)

Melissa Paul, 16

Melissa Paul, a 16-year-old Latino girl, was shot in the back at 3222 Verdugo Road in Glassell Park and died at 8 p.m. Feb. 6.

The Franklin High School student was walking with two other teenagers when the Latino suspects rolled up in a car and asked their gang affiliation, then fired. Police arrived to find Paul wounded, her friends trying to help her. She died later at County-USC. Arrests were made late last week but charges have not been filed. LAPD Northeast detectives seek any leads or witnesses. Call (213) 847-4261.

Update: LAPD Northeast detectives have cleared this case. At least one juvenile was among the latino suspects.

Marcia Gonzalez, 40

Marcia Gonzalez, a 40-year-old Latina woman, was shot in the head several times in a house at 5675 York Blvd. in Highland Park and died at 6:40 a.m. Feb. 6.

This case is a murder-suicide, according to police. At about 6 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, the bodies of Gonzalez, 40, and Guadalupe Sierra, 30, both Latino, were found in the house.

Sierra had been Gonzalez's boyfriend for seven years, but she had left him about a month ago and he had been stalking her, police said. That day, he came to the house, killed her, then turned the gun on himself, police said. Gonzalez's five children from a previous marriage, ages 11 to 15, were in the house at the time of the killing. They survived.

Brian Buchanan, 31

Brian Buchanan, a 31-year-old black man, was shot at 6815 S. 11th Ave. in South-Central Los Angeles and died at 2:12 a.m. Feb. 6.

Investigators described this as an "in-house" gang-related crime involving a personal dispute that, according to police reports, included insults and wrongdoing to someone's mother. Anyone with information about this killing is asked to call Dets. Shannon Geaney or Vivian Martin at (213) 485-1385.

* Update: This case has been cleared by arrest in LAPD's 77th Street Division.

Damon Johnson, 17

Damon Johnson, a 17-year-old black youth, was shot at 1736 Sage Brush Way in Carson, and died at 1:54 p.m. Feb. 5.

According to police, this neighborhood was dangerous for Johnson because of gang-territory rivalries. But he ventured into it anyway to see a young woman. He was spotted and pursued by his assailants, who chased him several blocks, then shot and killed him. Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene and gave chase. They apprehended a suspect, 19-year-old Charles Edwards.

Armando Herrera, 32

Armando Herrera, a 32-year-old Latino, was shot at 1700 Pomeroy Ave. in Boyle Heights and died at 3:16 a.m. Feb. 5.

A neighbor heard shots and came out to find Herrera lying on the sidewalk. The neighbor loaded the wounded man into a car and served as an ambulance driver, taking him to County-USC Medical Center, where Herrera died. LAPD Hollenbeck detectives are looking for a gray Chevy Malibu or Impala. Call (323) 526-3678.

Joe Navarro, 22

Joe Navarro, a 22-year-old Latino man, was shot at 3897 Le Sage St. in Lynwood and died at 1:42 a.m. Feb. 5.

Daniel Contreras, 18

Daniel Contreras, 18, a Latino man, was stabbed at 650 W. Alondra Blvd. by the Harbor Freeway north of the Artesia Freeway, and died at 12:50 a.m. Feb. 4. Police said he had left a party to go to a liquor store with a 24-year-old acquaintance. The suspects are Latino. The case remains under investigation, still unsolved as of November, 2007. Dets. Jason De La Cova and Mark Castillo seek more information. Call (213) 972-7850. Left, a photo of victim Contreras.

John Quesenberry, 23

John Quesenberry, a 23-year-old white man who had been shot in the back of the head last summer, died Feb. 3 after lingering for months in a hospital. He was shot in his car in a drive-by at 1805 Hacienda Blvd. in Hacienda Heights on July 2, 2006 as he was leaving Jack-in-the-Box. His time of death is listed as 5:11 a.m. Feb. 3.

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Dispatch, Feb. 9, 2007: South L.A. Detectives

The new push against gangs touted by Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this week also means changes for homicide investigations in LAPD's South Bureau, which encompasses Watts, South-Central, Crenshaw and other areas south of the Santa Monica Freeway.

High caseloads and competition for resources have long fettered homicide investigations in this key bureau, where 197 homicides were committed last year, compared to about 87 in the much bigger San Fernando Valley. Commanders say the new structure will address some of these concerns.

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College Student Killed

Detectives put out new photos and a new plea for the public's help Friday in the mysterious killing of 21-year-old Nicole Harvey, whose body was found burned and dumped in the 8100 block of Tuscany Avenue in the Playa Del Rey area on Jan. 26. The day she disappeared, Harvey, who was studying child development at Southwest College, went to wait for a bus between 8 and 8:30 a.m. at the corner of 45th Street and Western Avenue in South Los Angeles on her way to work in a day-care center. Her hair was arranged in the braids shown in the picture at the left, and she was wearing a brown camouflage jacket with a faux-fur hood. Harvey was "a very special young woman" who sang in her church, according to one mourner who e-mailed The Times. Police are seeking tips from anyone who might have seen her. Call (213) 485-2129.

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Serviceman Murdered

Pasadena police put out a new request for help this week in the death of a young Navy Reservist, Deon Mitchell, killed at 1392 Lake Ave. in Pasadena at 10:03 p.m. Feb. 2. Mitchell was in a parking lot when he was attacked by a hooded assailant who shot him down, then fled in a dark, 4-door compact car. Police called it an utterly random attack. Mitchell's killer is presumed to be a gang member, but Mitchell, who was from Pasadena, had nothing to do with gangs, and had never even had a run-in with police in his life. Anyone with information is asked to call Pasadena police at (626) 744-4522.

Below, a photo of victim Mitchell.

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Dispatch, Feb. 8, 2007: Reader Response

Thanks to readers for an enthusiastic response to the launch of the Homicide Report. The most common response so far has been surprise over the large number of homicides listed on the site.

"The sheer volume is shocking," one reader wrote. Wrote another: "A lot of us on the gentler end of that equation can lose sight of what's happening to others in our city ... Los Angeles really is a variety of different experiences depending on where you live, how much you earn and what color you are."

Some also found it grim reading: "It is a noble effort, to be sure, but is it ever depressing -- almost like they're disposable people," a third reader wrote. And from another: "I couldn't shake off a disturbing feeling about the whole thing." Finally, a reader from Canada with this thought: "My main knowledge about crime in L.A. comes from Michael Connelly novels. This column is much scarier."

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Profiling Murder

"My best friend was murdered in cold blood," begins an e-mail sent Monday to the Homicide Report. "I know the public is quick to assume it was gang-related, but my friend was not a gang member. He never did nothing evil in his life. He was always at home or at work...I just want the public to know that on saturday morning in south Los Angeles I lost not only a friend but a brother."

The case in question is second on this week's list, that of Enrique Ramos, who was killed for no other reason but that he happened to be a young Latino man in a risky neighborhood. The suspect may be a teenager. "It appeared he could barely hold the assault rifle up," said Sheriff's Lt. Dan Rosenberg. There is more than one such random killing on this week's list, reflecting a common homicide circumstance: Young men killed not because they are gang members, but because they looked like they could be. Just being minority males in neighborhoods where gangs are active is enough to make them targets.

The word "profiling" is used in reference to police scrutiny of minority men, but the same term might be applied to such gang killings. They are, in essence, profiling murders, where suspects make assumptions based on gender and skin color -- and nothing else.

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Victims, Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2007:

Enrique Ramos, 21

Enrique Ramos, 21, a Latino man, was struck by gunfire at 1609 E. 60^th St. in Florence, and died at 11:45 a.m. Feb. 3.

Ramos was a random victim. He was sitting on his front porch talking to a friend when a young man, possibly a teenager, walked up to them, cursed at them, made a reference to gangs, then pointed an assault rifle and fired. Ramos was struck and killed; investigators believe he was not a gang member, and don’t think his assailant knew him. Sheriff’s detectives are looking for a young, very short suspect, 5’0”, between 110 and 120 pounds. He got into a light blue van, which sped off southbound on Makee Ave. Anyone with information is asked to call Sheriff’s Homicide at (323) 890-5500.

Deon Mitchell, 21

Deon Mitchell, a 21-year-old black man, was shot at 1392 Lake Ave. in Pasadena and died at 10:03 p.m. Feb. 2.

Again, a random victim. Mitchell was a Navy Reservist with no ties to gangs. He was in a parking lot, about to get into his car with several friends when a suspect walked up with a hood over his face and started shooting. The suspect got in a dark, 4-door compact car and fled. Anyone with information is asked to call Pasadena police at (626) 744-4522.

Kevin Ramos, 23

Kevin Ramos, a 23-year-old Latino man, was shot and killed at 18000 Northam Street in Valinda, just south of West Covina, at 11:40 p.m. Friday Feb. 2. This case has not yet been listed by the coroner.

Ramos was hosting a party, according to sheriff’s investigators. Some gang members came by and asked to join it. He turned them away, and there was an argument. The intruders left, but then returned in three cars, one of them a ’97 or ’98 green or blue Ford Expedition. A suspect in the Expedition fired an assault rifle at the party, killing Ramos.

One stray round traveled down the street and pierced the wall of a neighboring home. A 16-year-old girl, asleep in her bed, was struck in the arm and was treated for her injuries. Sheriff’s investigators are seeking information about the case. Call (323) 890-5500.

They released these sketches of two suspects, both Latino men:

Geraldo Arellano, 25

Geraldo Arellano, a 25-year-old Latino man, was beaten and strangled, his body dumped in the Hungry Valley state park in Gorman. A park employee found the body about two miles from the entrance to this popular off-road vehicle area. His time of death is listed as 2:40 p.m. Feb. 1.

Janet Martinez, 25

Janet Martinez, 25, was found dead by her parents in her rental home at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 2 in the 10500 block of Telfair Avenue in the Northeast San Fernando Valley after she failed to pick up her two children from a baby-sitter. The coroner has not yet ruled her case a homicide, but Los Angeles police are investigating it as a possible one. They are seeking to interview this young mother's husband, Francisco Moncadaleon, who has disappeared. Anyone with information is asked to call (818) 834-3115..

Monadaleon’s photo is below:

Jesus Payan, 38

Jesus Payan, 38, a Latino man, was shot and his body dumped in the 5000 block of Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes. His time of death is listed as 7:28 a.m. Jan. 31.

Javier Rivera, 17

Javier Rivera, a 17-year-old Latino youth, was shot repeatedly at 6151 Prospect Ave. in Maywood, and died at 8:53 p.m. Jan. 31. Sheriff's detectives called this killing a dispute over tagging territory. The suspect, Salvador Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Latino man and alleged member of a tagging crew, lived two blocks from victim Rivera, and the pair have known each other all their lives. Detectives said on this evening, suspect Rodriguez walked up to Rivera, who was standing in a driveway with friends, and shot him.

Suspect Rodriguez is not in custody, detectives said. He may be driving a white Honda Accord. Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Charles Morales, Sheriff’s Homicide, (323) 890-5500. Below is the suspect's photo.

* Update: This case is cleared. The suspect in this case was caught and charged.

Joseph Jakori, 22

Joseph Jakori, a 22-year-old black man, was shot near the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Holmes Avenue in Florence, and died at 7:14 p.m. Jan. 31. Jakori was shot on the railroad tracks. The suspect, a black youth or man, came up and asked him if he was in a gang. Jakori said “no.” The suspect killed him.

Daniel Martinez, 17

Daniel Martinez, a 17-year-old Latino youth, was shot at the intersection of Nordoff Street and Orion Avenue in North Hills and died at 1:23 p.m. Jan. 31. 

Martinez was shot in a drive-by on his way home from school in the 15500 block of Nordhoff Street in the San Fernando Valley at 12:45 p.m. Jan. 31. The Einstein continuation student was in the company of classmates and Monroe High School students. Police are looking for suspects in a black, two-door car with faded paint. Call Det. Gene Parshall with information at (818) 838-9954.

Update: LAPD Mission detectives have cleared, or solved, this case. Two Latino men were arrested. Police said they drove by in a car, exchanged gang insults or challenges with Daniel, then shot him from the car in a rare drive-by shooting.