John Doe update

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a Latino man who was stabbed to death, said Craig Harvey, chief coroner investigator. The man's body was found 25 feet south of the eastbound 118 Freeway, just west of De Soto Street in the Porter Ranch area about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19. He was approximately 5 feet 8 inches, between the ages of 18 to 24, and was wearing blue button-fly jeans, a gray shirt, a blue jacket, brown work boots and a yellow metal ring with three clear stones.

Anyone with information can call Investigator Daniel Machian at the L.A. County coroner identification unit, (323) 343-0754. 

 

Victims, Jan. 21-27

The following posts represent the victims of homicide in Los Angeles County for the week of Jan. 21-27, 2008.

The following posts represent the victims of homicide in Los Angeles County for the week of Jan. 21-27, 2008.

The following posts represent the victims of homicide in Los Angeles County for the week of Jan. 21-27, 2008.

Maurio Proctor, 25

Maurio Proctor, a 25-year-old black man, was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting along 101st Street in South L.A. at about 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27. According to Det. Sal LaBarbera of LAPD's South Bureau, Proctor and another man were standing near an apartment unit at the Jordan Downs housing project, when a black Chevrolet Impala drove by and began shooting. Proctor was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. Proctor's death is related to a series of shootings connected to the death of Branden Bullard (see below).

Update: Police arrested Daniel Colvin, a 19-year-old young black man, Tuesday, Jan. 29, on suspicion of murder. Police declared Colvin as the suspected gunman in the drive-by shooting after detectives searched through surveillance videos, authorities said. Cedrick Johnson, an 18-year-old young black man, was also arrested on suspicion of involvement in the shooting, detectives said.

Branden Bullard, 25

Branden "B.L." Bullard, 25, a black man, was shot in a gang-related shooting at 147 E. Florence Ave. in South Los Angeles at about 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27. According to police, an unknown suspects fired several shots into a crowd of gang members that were partying inside a rented hall. Bullard was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Five other people were taken to various hospitals, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations office. All five  were in stable condition, she added.

According to LAPD, Bullard's shooting has triggered a series of retaliation shootings in Watts that have left two other men dead and 13 wounded. Los Angeles Times story

Mauricio Reyes-Cruz, 21

Mauricio Reyes-Cruz, 21, a Latino man, was shot and killed in the 1200 block of West Anaheim Street at about 1:10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27. According to Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations office, Reyes and his brother were eating at a taco truck when two Latino men approached them. An argument between Reyes and one of the men followed and shots were fired. Officers with LAPD's Harbor Division were dispatched to the location and discovered Reyes and his brother with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics declared Reyes dead at the scene. His brother was taken  to a local hospital, where he remained in stable condition. The suspects fled in a white Chevy Astro van, said Eisenman.

Alvaro Calderon, 31

Alvaro Calderon, 31, a Latino man, was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting at 12801 Strathern St. in North Hollywood at about 11:40 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. Officers with LAPD's North Hollywood Division responded to a call of a man down and discovered Calderon on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds. The shooting is believed to be gang-related, said Officer Mike Lopez of LAPD's media relations office. According to detectives, Calderon was walking south on Bellaire Avenue when he was shot. Calderon was taken  by ambulance to Holy Cross hospital, where he died the next day at 12:15 a.m.

Samantha Salas, 16

Samantha Salas, a 16-year-old Latina youth, was fatally shot in the 2500 block of Peck Road in Monrovia at about 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. According to Deputy Bill Brauberger of the Sheriff's Department, Salas was standing outside with a friend when two male suspects aproached them and began shooting. The suspects fled north on Peck Road. Salas was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her friend was also taken to a nearby hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. The shooting was gang-related. More information available from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Richard Broussard, 20

Richard Broussard, a 20-year-old black man, was killed in a gang-related shooting at 130 West 110th St. at about 12:40 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. According to South Bureau homicide detectives, officers with LAPD's Southeast Division were patrolling the area when they saw a group of men standing in the middle of the street. As officers were about to approach the group, a gunman opened fire. Broussard was hit and was later taken to a local hospital, where he died the next day at 1:20 a.m. Shortly after the shooting, officers arrested John Buckner, 20, who was seen running from the group with a gun, detectives say. A 16-year-old  also was arrested in connection with the slaying. Anyone with information about the incident can call (213) 485-4341.

Daniel Rodriguez, 22

Daniel Rodriguez, a 22-year-old Latino man, was fatally shot in the 4400 block of Arden Drive in El Monte at about 11:57 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. El Monte police officers responded to a report of shots fired, according to Lt. Michelle States of the El Monte Police Department. Paramedics declared the man dead at the scene. Homicide detectives with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department are investigating, said Det. Tracy Gonzales of the sheriff's homicide bureau.

Khalfani Taylor, 17

Khalfani Taylor, a 17-year-old black youth, was fatally shot in an alley near the 14700 block of Chadron Avenue at about 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25.  Paramedics declared him dead at the scene, according to Det. Tracy Gonzales of the L.A. County sheriff's homicide bureau.

Derick Jones, 26

Derick Jones, a 26-year-old black male, was fatally shot at 4186 La Salle Ave. at about 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25. Detectives with LAPD's South Bureau are investigating.

Willard Faughnder, 79

Willard Faughnder, 79, a white man, was fatally shot in a domestic dispute at 6231 Golden Sands Drive in Long Beach around  8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23. According to Long Beach police, dispatchers received a call from a woman who said she had shot her husband. Officers responded to a mobile home and discovered the body of Faughnder with a gunshot wound.

More details available from an L.A. district attorney's office statement and in the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Jesse Garibay, 45

Jesse Garibay, 45, a Latino man, was stabbed multiple times and set on fire at 115 West 86th Place in South L.A. on Monday, Jan. 21. His time of death was listed as 3:39 p.m., according to a coroner's report. The Los Angeles Police Department's South Bureau  is investigating.

Matthew Zabaneh, 20

Matthew Zabaneh, 20, a Latino man, was stabbed at 11937 Magnolia St. in El Monte at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday,  Jan. 18. Zabaneh was transported by ambulance to County USC-Medical Center, where he died  on Jan. 21. His time of death was listed as 7:59 p.m., according to a coroner's report.

Suzanna Jaramillo, 32

Suzanna Jaramillo, 32, a Latina woman, was fatally shot in the head by her boyfriend Gustavo Tellez Jr., 35, in a murder-suicide in the 7600 block of Newlin Avenue in Whittier at about 12:48 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21. Whittier police officers discovered the bodies inside the bedroom of Jaramillo's upstairs apartment after a friend called police. Neighbors told officers that the couple, who had a history of domestic disputes, had been arguing earlier in the day, said Jason Zhulke, spokesman for the Whittier Police Department. A neighbor said Jaramillo had a 6-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son, and that she had just started looking for a new job. The children were not home at the time of the incident, Zhulke said.

Relatives standing outside the apartment's living room window Tuesday morning refused to answer any questions about the incident. Instead, they quietly walked down and got inside a dark tinted-window Camry, where they remained for a few minutes before driving off.

(You have reached the end of the weekly listing of homicide victims in Los Angeles County, Jan. 21-27, 2008.)

Victims, Jan. 15 - 20

The following posts represent the victims of homicide in Los Angeles County for the period  of Jan. 15-20, 2008.

Ikime Sims, 20

Ikime Sims, 20, a black man, was shot in the face at the intersection of Orcutt Avenue and 58th Way in Long Beach at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. Sims was taken  by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:58 p.m. Anyone with information can call Det. David Rios at (562) 570-7244.

Christopher O'Leary, 34

Christopher O'Leary, 34, a white man, was fatally shot near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Avenue 46 in Highland Park on Sunday, Jan. 20. O'Leary was on his way to the store when a man or youth approached him and shot him. A passerby discovered the body and reported it to police. The motive is still unclear, said homicide Det. Lewis Lenchuk of LAPD's Northeast Division. O'Leary was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, where he was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m.

O'Leary was an employee at the Department of Public Health in the Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention Program. Having a doctorate in medical anthropology, O'Leary assisted in launching two STD prevention campaigns, according to Harlan Ortabalatt, a colleague. The first, "Check Yourself," was  aimed at preventing the spread of syphilis among gay men. The second, "I Know," attempted to prevent the spread of chlamydia and gonorrhea among  women of color.  He was scheduled to give a presentation about the campaigns at the National STD Prevention Conference in Chicago and the International AIDS Prevention Conference in Mexico City later this year.

Those who knew and worked with O'Leary described him as an astute and vibrant person. "He would make you come alive,"  Ortabalatt said. "It would heighten your level about life." Unanimously, friends and colleagues have taken comfort in the idea that O'Leary was his usual self that Sunday; he was happy and enjoying life.  Read O'Leary's obituary in the Sacramento Bee for more.

Anyone with information about the incident can call (213) 847-426.

* Update: LAPD Northeast detectives have cleared this case: A 17-year-old Latino youth has been arrested. Times story.

Miguel Juarez, 19

Miguel Juarez, a 19-year-old young Latino man, was shot in an apparent gang-related shooting at a "flyer party" at 223 Bullis Road in Compton shortly after midnight Sunday, Jan. 20. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies responded to reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, deputies discovered eight people with gunshot wounds; three were in critical condition. Juarez, among the three injured, was taken to St. Francis Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m. said Det. Phillip Guzman of the sheriff's homicide bureau. The party had been publicized on the social network MySpace,  Guzman said. Arley Aguilar,19, the disc jockey at the party, said he saw a man standing atop a car being repaired and began shooting, an L.A. Times article reported. Jaurez was a resident of  Cudahy.

For more on a 2004 LAPD crackdown on "flyer parties," click below the jump:

Russell Randall, 38

Russell Randall, a 38-year-old black man, was shot and killed at 1116 West 64th St. in South L.A. at about 9:40 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Division responded to an open window at a home and found Russell dead from a gunshot wound to the head, said Officer Michael Lopez with the department's media relations office.

Dennis Moses, 17

Dennis Moses, a 17-year-old black youth from Long Beach, and Breon Taylor, a black 15-year-old girl from Los Angeles, were shot at 5918 Parkcrest St. in Long Beach at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19.  Both teens were transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. A third teenager received non-life-threatening injuries. Long Beach police officials say the shooting occurred after a fight at the Lakewood Masonic Lodge, where 200 people were attending a birthday party. Anyone with information can call Dets. Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes at (562) 570-7244. Los Angeles Times story

Breon Taylor, 15

Breon Taylor, a 15-year-old black girl, is the second victim of a double homicide described above.

John Doe

A Latino man was stabbed to death at an unknown location Saturday, Jan 19. His time of death was listed as 8:40 a.m., according to a coroner's report.

Ricardo Merino, 6

Ricardo Merino, a 6-year-old Latino boy, died from physical trauma at County-USC hospital at about 5 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, said Lt. Fred Coral of the L.A. County coroner's office. There are no further details.

Francisco Aguirre Jr., 31

Francisco Aguirre Jr., a 31-year-old Latino man, was killed by a hit-and-run driver at 1519 North Gaffey Street in San Pedro at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19. According to Det. Frank Weber, Aguirre and his friends were returning from a birthday celebration and had made a final stop at a 7-Eleven. Inside the store, a man got into a verbal confrontation with one of Aguirre's friends. As Aguirre and his friends were returning to their limo bus, the man -- who had been waiting on the lot -- reversed his van and plowed through the group, injuring two people and dragging Aguirre from the lot and into the street. He died instantly.

Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department's Harbor Division arrested Samuel Pinto, 36, on suspicion of homicide later that evening. On Jan. 23, the L.A. County district attorney filed murder charges against Pinto. His arraignment was postponed until Jan. 30.

Aguirre was the fourth child of seven brothers. Those who were close to Aguirre knew him as "Pancho."  To his mother, he was "Panchito." For years Aguirre had been working odd jobs, including construction and car repair. Aguirre changed a few years ago after he began thinking about settling down and buying a house. He began assisting his mother and grandmother with routine tasks like paying bills and grocery shopping, according to his brother, Robert Ortiz. He attended more family functions as well. He started to save money and looked for a steady job so that he could marry his girlfriend, whom he had been with for eight years, Ortiz said. "He really turned a corner ... he was becoming a man," he added with a teary voice. "It was a beautiful thing to see."

Aguirre's family is seeking donations for funeral services.

-- Ruben Vives /LAT

Thanh Gong, 23

Thanh "Hai" Gong, a 23-year-old Asian man, was shot multiple times at 10024 Valley Blvd. in El Monte at about 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19.  He was declared dead at the scene, according to Deputy Luis Castro of the sheriff's headquarters bureau.

Mark Leonard, 43

Mark Leonard, a 43-year-old black man, was shot multiple times in the 400 block of North Wilmington Avenue in Compton at about 6:15 p.m. Friday, Jan 18.  He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m.

Artie Pullam, 30

Artie Pullam, a 30-year-old black man, was shot to death at 10702 S. Grape St. in the Watts area at about 5:52 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17. According to the coroner's report, Pullam was shot multiple times in the head and back.

Alejandro Palacio, 33

Alejandro Palacio, a 33-year-old Latino man, was shot to death at 3611 West Bellevue Ave. in the Rampart area at about 2 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15. His domestic partner, Delilah Acevedo, 26, was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder, said Officer Norma Eisenman of LAPD's media relations office. Officers with the Rampart Division responded to a shots-fired call and found Palacio in the bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. He was declared dead at the scene. A handgun was recovered.

(You have reached the end of the weekly listing of homicide victims in Los Angeles County, Jan. 15-20, 2008.)

2007 Preliminary: A large countywide homicide drop and an average of 39% of cases solved so far

HR continues its survey of 2007 cases to update the archives on the blog.

So far, preliminary figures suggest that there were about 913 homicides recorded by the coroner in all of Los Angeles County during 2007. A final count is pending. Dozens of possible homicides or accidental deaths await a final determination, so it remains unclear how the countywide numbers will stack up. But if anything close to this figure holds, 2007 will end up being the least deadly year for homicide in a generation locally--not just within the city limits of Los Angeles, as The Times has recently reported--but throughout all of Los Angeles County, including areas policed by the Los Angeles County sheriff and police departments such as those in Inglewood, Huntington Park, Pomona and Pasadena.

Additionally, HR has now reviewed 570 homicide cases countywide being investigated by scores of police units. The average solve rate--the rate at which cases are cleared by the arrest of a suspect--is holding at about 39% countywide. The clearance survey continues.

Finally, the coroner's files indicate that more than 70 homicide cases are missing from the homicide report. HR is working to update its archives.

--Jill Leovy/LAT