Family pleads for public’s help
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Outside of LAPD’s Harbor Division on Thursday, March 27, family members of Daniel Arviso, 19, sought the public’s help in identifying the killer or killers responsible for the young man’s death last Oct. 13.
Councilwoman Janice Hahn announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Arviso’s killers. ‘Someone out there saw, heard, knows something,’ she said speaking at the conference.
According to authorities, Arviso had left his job, supervising truck inspections at the harbor, and was on his way to a birthday party near 1440 Blinn Ave. in Wilmington when he was shot in the head. Arviso’s cousin, Angela Lopez, 22, said she ran out when she heard the gunshot because she wanted to check on the children who were playing outside.
Lopez said she noticed the body of a man on a street corner and walked over to it. Lopez is attending medical school and wanted to help. When she flipped the body over, she could only see blood on the man’s face. She said his eye was almost sticking out. She pulled out the man’s wallet and it was then that she discovered he was her cousin. Lopez said she held his head until paramedics arrived. ‘He pushed his legs,’ said Lopez. ‘He was trying to get up.’ Arviso was taken by ambulance to UCLA-Harbor General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
‘Daniel was a great person, nephew, a grandson, and a father,’ said Arviso’s aunt, Donna Arviso. Daniel had a 3-year-old daughter, Kayla Arviso, and had been putting in extra hours at work so he could save up for Christmas shopping. His aunt said he was planning on buying his daughter a Dora the Explorer toy jeep for Christmas; the family said they used his last paycheck to buy the jeep and give it to her on Christmas Day. That week, according to the aunt, Kayla walked to her father’s grave and said, ‘Thank you daddy for the jeep.’ Family described Daniel as the type of person who felt frustrated when he couldn’t help others, but happiest when he could.
‘We are pleading with everyone,’ Donna said. ‘Please, if you have seen or heard anything, please help us get justice for our nephew and make our streets safer for our children.’
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Dets. J. Rodriguez or F. Weber of the Harbor detective division, homicide unit at (310) 522-2036.
A letter by Daniel Arviso’s cousin, Elizabeth Ayala:
You are a murderer, a thief, and a robber.
- You murdered someone special
- You stole an innocent life
- You robbed someone of their father, son, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend
This past Easter Sunday it made me smile to see my cousins running around chasing each other with water balloons. I could just picture Danny there with them laughing and having fun, but then reality hit, it was just my imagination he’s not here anymore and it kills me deep inside to know that someone took him away from us.
All of us cousins grew up together, you can always catch us chilling in my garage. Now every time we hang out, it always feels like something is missing. Danny is that something. Our flower will never be full because his petal can never be replaced. It will never be the same without him.
So please if anyone out there knows anything please speak up! Don’t be afraid! it will all be worth it in the end.
To the right, Ayala’s tattoo. She said Daniel was known as Pelon to family.