"Muy trabajadora"

Detectives sought the public's help Friday in solving the killing of Celerino Reyes, 40, shot in a robbery attempt June 8 just north of the 10 Freeway on Mateo Street--a dingy industrial area just south of downtown Los Angeles. Reyes' assailants came up to his car window and shot him. The wound may have caused him to hit the gas; his car careened into a palm tree.

Reyes came to this country from Michoacan state in Mexico about 16 years ago with few resources. He had a small car.

He drove it around, delivering wooden pallets to businesses. He brought others with cars into the business, and it grew and grew. He helped family members here and in Mexico.

A tall, well-groomed, happy man, he was notorious for lecturing everyone in his family on the importance of hard work and responsibility. He would try to help them organize their lives and goals, constantly whipping out sheets for lists and instructions, circling this or that point for emphasis.

He was a father of five. "Muy trabajadora," one family member said, describing his lifestyle: "Hard-working." Above, his sister, a daughter, a niece and her family, and a son (in back on right) talking to LAPD Newton detectives at a news conference Friday in South-Central. There is a $50,000 reward for information in the case. Detectives have a still clip from a video of the suspects, whom they believe followed Reyes from the bank.

They also have a picture of the suspects' car. They ask anyone with tips about the suspects to call them at (323) 846-6556.

Just in: Suspect charged in murder of young mother

LAPD Newton Dets. Richard Arciniega and Eric Spear have cleared the case of the murder of Karina Michel, 31, gunned down in front of her children in what may have been an attempted robbery at a taco stand in the 6200 block of Main Street, South-Central Los Angeles-Eastside, the evening of May 29.

Charged with murder in the case is Jason Martin, 18, a young black man who was already in custody on a probation violation and who hails from the neighborhood where Michel died.

Michael Quick has updated the map

The map is updated. Tan markers indicate newer homicides. Left, a closeup of LAPD Newton Division, which has had a recent surge in killings.

Among last week's victims: A 13-year-old boy

Fern leaves, a stuffed giraffe, and a vial of holy water grace the shrine of Luis Nevarres, a 13-year-old boy gunned down in the unincorporated Florence area of the county on Wednesday, June 20, as he walked in the alley above in broad daylight. A week after his death, someone was making sure the candles kept burning.

The Homicide Report is seeking more information on this killing, listed below.

Victims, June 18-24

The following posts comprise the coroner's list of all victims of homicide in Los Angeles County during the week June 18-24.

Homicides reported earlier in the week are updated here with information finalized by the coroner. Each week, The Homicide Report publishes a list like this. For previous lists, scroll down, or refer to the archives on the right.

(Above, flowers for victim Oscar Castillo, 24, listed below.)

Oscar Castillo, 24

Oscar Castillo, 24, a Latino man, was shot several times in the chest about 8:50 p.m. Sunday, June 24, at 4067 S. San Pedro St. in South-Central Los Angeles. He died at 10:27 p.m.

He had quarrelled with two other Latino men over an issue that may have had to do with gang concerns, police said. One of the men approached him and shot him several times. Castillo was taken to California Hospital, where he died.

Matthew Perez, 24

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Matthew Perez, 24, a Latino man, was stabbed to death at 6631 Ferguson Drive in East Los Angeles. He died at 10:02 p.m. Sunday, June 24.

His aunt, Letty Ainsworth, said that Perez had just graduated from computer school and wanted to become a graphic artist. As a youngster he had gotten into some trouble and had been assigned community service which led to a stint with the Salvation Army. He didn't quit after his term was fulfilled. He continued working for the Salvation Army of his own volition until his death, as well as with soup kitchens affiliated with his Catholic church, she said. She said he was walking and was attacked, perhaps by a group.

Daniel Aguilar, 20

Daniel Aguilar, 20, a young Latino man, was shot in the torso at 15703 Valley Blvd. in La Puente, and died at 2:42 a.m. Sunday, June 24.

Salvador Avila Jr., 19

Salvador Avila Jr., 19, suffered multiple gunshot wounds at 8454 Alondra Blvd. in Paramount, and died at 2 a.m. Sunday, June 24.

According to Sheriff's Det. Ray Lugo, Avila was a high school graduate from Compton who had just gone to the local Tam's that night for some food. A friend with whom he had come had gotten into a fight with other Latino men at the Tam's, and was knocked unconscious. Avila went over--not to fight--but to help his friend, Lugo said. He tried to pulled the unconscious man of the ground and get him to a car. As he was doing so, he was shot.

Update: Sheriff's homicide detectives Lugo and Sgt. Joe Ramirez have cleared this case. Arrested were Luis Rodriguez, 24, and Adrian Chavez, 27, both of whom fought with the friend. Rodriguez, who prosecutors say was the shooter, is also charged in a double murder in Paramount.

Chavez and Rodriguez were identified as suspects in the Avila case about two days before Rodriguez is suspected to have killed the additional victims of the Paramount double murder. Police had Rodriguez in their sites--internal flyers had circulated in station houses about him--but deputies were not able to find him in time. He is accused of murdering Julio Ramirez and Benjamin Velasco on July 28, a little more than a month after Avila's murder. He was caught a few days after that, now with three suspected murders in his wake.

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Nazario Carrillo Jr., 26

Nazario Carrillo Jr., 26, a Latino man, was shot in the head at 132 E. 30th St. in LAPD's Newton Division on Saturday, June 23.

He was driving a car in the 200 block of East 30th Street at 10:10 p.m. when he was shot. The car crashed. Police got a "shots fired" call and found him dead at the scene. Investigators had little more to offer than these scant facts. Their investigation continues.

* Update: This case will be classified as "cleared other" by LAPD Newton detectives. Cleared other refers to cases resolved without an arrest. In this case, Carrillo's suspected killer shot himself in the head in the course of a California Highway Patrol car chase.

Owen Gin, 26

Owen Gin, 26, a Latino man, was stabbed in the chest in a confrontation with his mother's 29-year-old boyfriend at 2:25 a.m. Saturday, June 23, in the 7400 block of Haskell Avenue in Van Nuys. He died at 3:42 a.m.

The mother and the boyfriend had quarrelled. The son had become involved in the dispute, and saw the boyfriend in the street. There was a confrontation, and Gin was taken to a hospital, where he died. The boyfriend is in police custody. The details of the confrontation are still being investigated.

Clyde Paschal, 35

Clyde Paschal, 35, a black man, was shotin the torso at 690 E. 50th St. in LAPD's Newton Division. He died at 2:54 a.m. Friday, June 22. A suspect is in custody. More information to come.

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Moises Lopez, 32

Moises Lopez, 32, a Latino man, was hit by gunfire in the head, torso and left hand at the intersection of Avenue 26 and Pasadena Avenue in LAPD's Hollenbeck area and died at 4:07 p.m. Friday, June 22.

Update: LAPD Hollenbeck detectives have cleared this case. At least one Latino suspect was arrested. Narcotics were involved in the dispute.

Antwoine Young, 28

Antwoine Young, 28, a black man, was hit multiple times by bullets at 44267 Division St. in Lancaster, and died at 3:10 a.m. Friday, June 22.

He was outside a nightclub when a fight broke out. Someone started shooting, and Young was hit. He was transported to Antelope Valley Medical Center, where he died. Anyone with information is asked to call Los Angeles County sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Ignacio Juarez, 58

Ignacio Juarez, 58, died after his skull was fractured by blunt force trauma at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, June 21. His body was found near the southbound I-5 freeway ramp on Riverside Drive as it runs south from Griffith Park to the east of Silver Lake, a section of roadway where homeless people camp in cars. Juarez was a member of a homeless encampment near the overpass.

According to LAPD Northeast Division Det. Harold DiCroce, Juarez had quarrelled with 38-year-old Oswaldo Mangas, a Latino man, and other men from the encampment. Juarez was struck in the face several times with some object. There was broken glass and wood from tree branches near his body. Mangas was arrested that night. Several days later two other Latino male suspects were arrested and charged with murder. They are Rodrigo Ruiz, 42, and Fernando Tovar-Vasquez, 28. The argument took place in the context of drinking. Juarez's body was left lying near the ramp. Highway Patrol officers at first thought they had a traffic accident on their hands.

Aaron Diaz, 22

Aaron Diaz, 22, a Latino man, was hit in the left cheek by a bullet at 5601 Gotham St. in Bell Gardens on Monday, June 18 at 7 p.m. and died at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, at St. Francis hospital. A Latino man walked up while he was sitting in a car and shot him. He was kept alive several days after being shot so that his organs could be donated.

Richard Mitchell, 21

Richard Mitchell, 21, a black young man, was struck eight times by gunfire at 1262 E. 77th St. in Florence on Sunday, June 10, and survived until his death 10 days later, at 2:20 p.m Wednesday, June 20.

He was sitting on a front porch with another man when a Latino man or youth in a white, mid-sized car cruised by and shot both of them. The other young man, hit in the arm, survived. Mitchell was classified as stable immediately after his injuries, and was transferred to Kaiser Hospital in East Hollywood. Friends said he had a bullet in his jaw, and had undergone surgery so that it could be removed. Sometime during surgery or treatment, Mitchell had a heart attack, and could not be revived.

Above, bullet holes on the wall next to where Mitchell and his friend were struck. It is the friend's house. Mitchell was visiting. The friend's mother said Mitchell's parents took his body to their home state of Mississippi to bury him. The neighbor offered that she, too, had a son who was murdered four years ago--a 15-year-old African American youth. She said no reporter had ever asked her about her son, and that no media organization had given the death the least attention. The murder was never solved, she said bitterly. She teared up. She said she would give the message to Mitchell's parents.

Luis Nevarres, 13

Luis Nevarres, 13, a Latino boy, was struck by a bullet in the 1100 block of East 73rd Street in Florence at about 2:45 p.m., and died at 3:24 p.m. Wednesday, June 20.

Luis was walking in an alley with a friend, another Latino male, at about 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon when a green SUV pulled up, and two Latino male suspects fired at them. Luis was hit in this possibly gang-motivated attack. He was transported to St. Francis hospital in Lynwood, where he was pronounced dead. The suspects are still outstanding.

"Rest in peace, Pelon" says the sign on the spot where he fell.

Randy Jeanlouis, 20

Randy Jeanlouis, 20, a black young man, suffered a single gunshot wound at 1432 W. 105th St. in the Athens area, and died at 12:35 a.m. Wednesday, June 20.

He was walking down the street with a juvenile companion when he was approached by several black men or youths on foot. They killed him. Investigators suspect gang concerns are involved in this killing, but exactly what that means is unclear. Jeanlouis may have been targeted for his gang membership. But he might also have been killed simply for being a young black man in a place where even the perception of strangeness or rivalry can get one murdered, investigators said.

Freddy Castro, 21

Freddy Castro, 21, a Latino young man, was struck by gunfire multiple times in the 4000 block of Morgan Avenue in LAPD's Newton area. He died at 7:56 p.m. Monday, June 18.

He was shot at about 7:40 p.m. Another Latino man was wounded in the shooting but is expected to survive. Drive-by shooters surprised the pair, who were on foot. The killing was the third in LAPD's Newton Division in three days.

* Update: Newton detectives have cleared this case. Two Latino suspects have been charged.

Ashley Lunsford, 19

Ashley Lunsford, 19, a young black woman, suffered multiple gunshot wounds at the intersection of Mills and Kingsley avenues in Pomona in a shooting incident that also killed 19-year-old Shannon Fortune, below. Lunsford's time of death was listed as 11:34 p.m. Monday, June 18.

Pomona officers called to the scene of a reported fight received reports of gunshots as they sped to the scene. When they got there, they found both victims on the sidewalk, dead at the scene.

Shannon Fortune, 19

Shannon Fortune, 19, a black man was struck by gunfire multiple times in the same double homicide incident as above. His time of death was listed as 11:33 p.m. Monday, June 18.

Anthony Jenkins, 46

Anthony Jenkins, 46, a black man, was injured by a gunshot at 41st Place and Walton Avenue on Monday, June 18, and stumbled several yards before falling on the sidewalk. His time of death was listed as 5:54 p.m.

He had been walking toward a group of men or boys on the corner of 42nd Street and Walton Avenue, behind Manual Arts High School, at about 5:30 p.m. Someone shot him. He stumbled a few yards, then fell. He lay there some time in plain view before a passerby called 911. Among those who noticed him were children passing on skateboards, locals said. He was eventually taken  to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

See Southwest Homicide and "Not just another statistic."

Yanshi Wang, 43

Yanshi Wang, a 43-year-old woman of Asian descent, was stabbed multiple times at 8849 Glendon Way, Apt. A, in Rosemead. She died at 11:33 p.m. Sunday, June 17.

This is the end of the coroner's weekly homicide-victim list.

Young black man, worried mom

Left, this small boy watched the proceedings at a vigil for a homicide victim this week. The victim, a black man, was killed by gunfire.

Black men have the highest homicide victimization rates of any group in America, a fact the boy's mother grasps. Although she did not know the subject of the vigil well, she said she attended because she wanted to support anti-homicide efforts on behalf of her son. "I'm worried because I've got a young black man here," she said.

Comment: Surviving your parents' murder-suicide

"I let all that go."

The June killing of Venice bank employee Noelia Vasquez (right) by her boyfriend, who then killed himself, has generated many comments. Many readers addressed their remarks to the couple's 13-year-old son, who came home to find both parents dead.

Among them is a reader who describes surviving his own father's attempted murder-suicide. The reader was a child not much older than Vasquez's son when his father tried to kill his mother, leaving her comatose. The father then killed himself. "I just want you to know that it is hard," this surviving son tells the boy, "but if I would have stopped living after what my dad did...I would have never lived to become who I am." Below, an excerpt:

"i thought of killing myself after it happened. i though that since i was like my dad, i would end up just like him.  it really messed me up, but i saw for myself that i had a life to live.  that no matter what,  i was still my fathers son and my mothers son and the best part of having them was learning how they were, good and bad. i hated walking around thinking people were saying "o his dad tried to kill his mom", but after a while i let all that go. all the negativity, all the bad thoughts, i let that go.  i chose good. now you must choose good.   i miss my dad, it feels bad every day, but for all the "bad" he left me with i have good.  i will be good in order to show that not everything my father was, was bad.  just to prove that i can get thru this.  its hard, and it hurts and even know i feel like crying, im a grown man. but if i would have stopped living after my dad did what he did, i would have never lived to become who i am."

Click 'read on' below for complete comment.

Comment: "I'm sick of reading The Homicide Report"

(Now and then, The Homicide Report highlights comments. This one was posted on the entry for victim Dion Miles, 19)

First of all, I live in Orange County and have never experienced these issues firsthand, but I still feel such sadness for these kids who's lives are being senselessly taken from them. I also feel for the young men who make such  poor choices as to committ these crimes. Their lives are also being tarnished forever. I'm sick of reading the homicide report everyday. I wish there wasn't even one. I read it not to know what ares to avoid in LA or to make it a racial thing, but to think: Is there something I can do? If we all can do just a little bit, in whatever way we think his best, maybe, just maybe we can do something. LAPD and the city of LA aren't going to do anything. It has to come from the people. I know I might be naive or ignorrant because I don't live there, but I think my attitude is right. I do whatever i can. Everytime there is a public fund set up for these kids I donate. Money is not all it's going to take.

Nicole Harvey fund-raising effort

A fund-raising effort is being organized to increase the reward for information on the Jan. 6, 2007 murder of college student Nicole Harvey. Concerts and other activities are planned to aid the case and to increase public awareness of the problem of unsolved homicides. For information or to make a donation, contact April Griffin, nicolefromthesoul@hotmail.com, family foundation representative.

Nicole Harvey, 21, went to wait for a bus to work at the corner of 45th Street and Western Avenue in Los Angeles early Jan. 26, and her burned body--pierced with possible gunshot wounds--was found in the 8100 block of Tuscany Avenue in Playa Del Rey that afternoon. Sometime in between, Harvey mysteriously called her bosses claiming she had a family emergency and wouldn't be coming to work. There is a $55,000 reward for information leading to a suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division at (213) 485-2129.

Just in: Arrest in killing of young man who wore red

Los Angeles Sheriff's Dets. Angus Ferguson and Richard Ramirez say they have solved the killing of 19-year-old Cal State Northridge student Dion Miles, left, killed for inadvertantly wearing red clothing in a neighborhood claimed by a Crip gang last week.

The suspect, Kavon Jones, 17, a black youth, was arrested this morning in connection with the homicide. See earlier post.

Not "just another statistic"

A few days ago, The Homicide Report covered the killing of Anthony Jenkins, a reported drug user whose death seemed to have provoked little outrage.  His body had lain in plain view for some time before anyone called 911.

Some neighbors, according to police, had shown contempt for the investigation, and there had been no shrine at the scene. All that had been left to mark the murder was a paramedic's glove on the spot where Jenkins died.

On Tuesday, a small group of people gathered to belatedly mark Jenkins' death. The group included about a half a dozen activists, none of whom knew Jenkins. They said they were upset by the apparent ignominy of his death.

One said she had seen a report about it "in the computer," and had driven across to town to make sure the murder was given more recognition. Another said she wanted to make sure Jenkins was not "just another statistic."

The group eventually was joined by another half a dozen neighbors, who stopped by to see what they were doing, and look at Jenkins' picture. Most then stayed for the proceedings.

As evening closed in, several people lit candles. Then the whole group, activists and neighbors, joined hands and prayed.

Above the spot where Jenkins died, they taped a computer printout with a picture of Jenkins copied from this website, and made into a sign. The sign reads: "My name is Anthony Jenkins. I'm 46 years old. I was murdered on June 18, 2007."

The candles were still burning the next morning. A man, right, who had been pushing a shopping cart full of items scavenged from garbage cans stopped to take notice. The man had just found a fresh, whole green apple. After a moment's consideration, he left it as an offering in front of Jenkins' shrine. Jenkins was "my homeboy," the man said.

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