A note to our readers ...

The Homicide Report is going on a hiatus.

We hope to resume chronicling L.A. County's homicide victims soon.

South Los Angeles: Man shot outside bar

Raymond Davis, a 22-year-old black man, was fatally shot in the 6600 block of South Vermont Avenue about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9.

Davis, of Inglewood, was standing outside the Safari Bar when shots were fired, and one of the rounds hit him in the stomach. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Witnesses said they saw a man leave the area, driving north on Vermont Avenue in a black vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department's South Bureau homicide unit at (213) 485-1383; during non-business hours call (877) LAPD-24-7.

--Andrew Blankstein

Hollywood: Man in coma dies after fatal beating

A 21-year-old Latino man who fell into a coma after being beaten unconscious in the 6660 block of Hollywood Boulevard died about 3:40 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6.

Officers discovered the unidentified man lying on the sidewalk with a severe head injury on Saturday, Nov. 1. He was taken to a hospital, where his fight for life ended five days later.

Los Angeles Police Department investigators said the suspects in the fatal beating were black men wearing black shirts and blue jeans. One man is believed to be 20 to 25 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing from 140 to 170 pounds. The other was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds.

There is no immediate motive for the crime, in which the suspects repeatedly punched the victim, causing the head injuries. Anyone with any information about this incident is encouraged to call Hollywood homicide detectives at (213) 972-2910. After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour toll-free number: (877) LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters "LAPD."

--Andrew Blankstein

Arrest in body dumping case

Detectives announced the arrest Tuesday of a suspect in the shooting death of a 25-year-old Korean man whose body was found near an offramp of the 110 Freeway in July.

Authorities said family members reported Min Woo Cho, 25, missing on June 12. A month after Cho's disappearance, a Caltrans worker clearing brush near the Stadium Way offramp discovered the body.

An initial identification was made after clothing from the scene was shown to Cho's family.

At a news conference, detectives said they had arrested Steven Hyun Kwon, 24. A former roommate of the victim, Kwon had been with Cho at a Koreatown bar the night before his disappearance, LAPD Det. Alan Solomon said.

Kwon, a U.S. citizen with ties to South Korea, had been located at the Hustler Casino in Gardena on Oct. 15. He was taken in for questioning and was later booked on suspicion of murder that day, said Solomon, a member of the LAPD's gang operations and support division.

Solomon said the motive for the shooting may have been financial. Kwon, he said, had gambling debts, although the detective would not say how much the suspect owed.

The news conference was held at the Los Angeles Department of Public Works. In the lobby, Cho's aunt, Rebecca Kim, 36, said her nephew was "a good person" who cared about his parents. She said Cho was born in South Korea and had moved to Guam with his parents. He came to Los Angeles a few years ago to attend Santa Monica College full time.

"Just this fall he was accepted to Cal State University of San Diego," Kim said. "He was going to major in business."

Kim said Cho's parents have yet to accept the loss of one of their two sons.

-Ruben Vives

West Adams: Man shot in apartment courtyard

William Chapman, a 32-year black man, was shot to death in the 4500 block of Rodeo Lane in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Chapman was in the courtyard area of an apartment building when he was struck by rounds fired by  unknown suspects, who promptly fled the area, Los Angeles police said. Chapman died at a hospital.

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Bureau homicide Dets. Charles Geiger and Richard Gordon at (213) 485-1383.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number: (877) LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters "LAPD."

--Richard Winton

Southwest L.A.: Man shot dead in middle of street

Carrington Henderson, a black man of unknown age, was killed shortly after midnight Saturday, Nov. 1, in the 21000 block of West 48th Street.

Henderson was standing in the street when two unidentified suspects in a mid-sized vehicle and a sport utility vehicle shot him multiple times. The suspects fled east on 48th Street, driving about two blocks before shooting at a group of individuals. No one was hit in the second shooting, police said. Henderson was taken to a hospital, where he died. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Southwest Division homicide Dets. Robert Lait and Vincent Carreon at (213) 485-1383.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number (877) LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with LAPD.

--Richard Winton 

Southwest L.A.: Man shot in garage

Johnny Donnell, 43, was killed shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, in the 4000 block of Muirfield Road when he was shot multiple times. An 18-year old man, Timothy Jones, also was shot and injured, police said.

The two men and another friend were standing in a garage when the assailants approached and fired multiple gunshots. Donnell suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and his left leg and was pronounced dead at the scene. Jones also suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was treated at a hospital.

The assailants are described as two black men in their late teens to early 20s with light complexions.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Los Angeles Police Department homicide Dets. James Yoshida and Ty Lee at (213) 485-1383.  After-hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to (877) LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with "LAPD."

--Richard Winton

Harbor area: Man dies in shooting

Eric Perez, a 26-year-old Latino, died in a double shooting in the 1000 block of Lagoon Avenue at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

When police arrived, they found two male victims bleeding from gunshot wounds. Witnesses told police that two men driving a Honda sedan pulled up, and one man got out and fired several shots.

Both victims were taken to a hospital, where Perez died at 6:15 a.m. from a wound to his upper torso. The second victim, whose name was not released, was treated for a non-life-threatening injury. The shooting was believed to be gang-related.

--Richard Winton

Koreatown area: Man shot dead after answering front door

Darren Turner, a 40-year-old black man, was shot and killed Monday, Nov. 3, about 3 a.m. when he answered his front door in the 1000 block of South Western Ave. and was confronted by two black men, one armed with a gun.

The gunman fired one round at Turner, then both assailants fled on foot. Turner was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Bureau Homicide Dets. Chris Barling or Lyman Doster at (310) 482-6316 or (310) 482-6349. After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour line at (877) LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). Callers may also send a text message to “CRIMES” with a cellphone or log on to www.lapdonline.org and click on Web Tips. When using a cellphone, messages should begin with “LAPD.”

--Richard Winton

Vermont Knolls: Man fatally shot in robbery attempt

Damian Cook, 39, was shot and killed in the 1100 block of West 90th Street about 11 p.m. Friday, Oct.  31. Authorities believe the shooting may have been connected to an attempted robbery and are looking for two men last seen running from the scene.

--Richard Winton

Pomona: Man killed after confronting car thieves

Jonathan Estrada, 27, a Latino man from Pomona, was shot and killed in the 400 block of Lucera Court shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Estrada died at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center of wounds to his upper body. Authorities say he apparently confronted two armed men who were attempting to steal his girlfriend's car. One assailant was described as a light-skinned Latino in his mid- to late-20s, about 5 feet 9 with a thin build and blond hair. The second was described as a Latino in his mid-40s with a medium complexion, a mustache, a goatee and 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 7.

Five murdered in Long Beach encampment

Vanessa Malaepule wasn't homeless. She lived with her mother and six children in a modest stucco house in Long Beach. But about five weeks ago, she began dating a man at a roadside encampment, and on Monday her family lamented that the relationship led her to be, as one relative put it, "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Her body -- along with those of three men and another woman -- was found Sunday, Nov. 2, at what appeared to be a homeless camp near the 405 Freeway in Long Beach, authorities said. All had been shot.

Along with Malaepule, 34, authorities identified Lorenzo Perez Villacana, 44, a denizen of the dark hideaway beneath low-hanging boughs of bottlebrush trees next to the Santa Fe Avenue offramp. As investigators continued to search for clues, 13 rof Malaepule's relatives gathered at the encampment to light candles and pray.

"It's sad, real sad," said Fauamoa Palaita, one of the relatives. "I feel hurt. We can't believe it."

The five bodies were discovered after an anonymous tipster called police Sunday morning. The next day, police were still searching for a motive -- and hoping the mysterious informant would call back.

At a news conference Monday, Long Beach Police Chief Anthony Batts described the other victims as a Middle Eastern man in his 40s, a white man in his 50s and a Latino woman in her 20s. Their names were withheld pending notification of next of kin. It was unclear which of the men was Malaepule's boyfriend, though her family said he was among the dead.

All of the victims died of multiple gunshot wounds, Batts said, and investigators have received reports that "there may have been drug sales" at the encampment.

News of the shootings stunned social workers who assist the estimated 1,100 chronically homeless men and women believed to live in the maze of freeway crawl spaces, underbrush and crude shelters in the Los Angeles River corridor.

"This is devastating news for us -- unexpected and horrific," said Susan Price, homeless services officer with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. "People are very concerned about this level of violence."

Malaepule, who was unemployed, lived about two miles from the crime scene with her mother and six children -- ages 8, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16 -- who joined other relatives visiting the camp Monday.

To reach the secluded camp on the northern edge of the city, Malaepule's relatives walked down a narrow dirt path bordered by a chain-link fence topped by razor wire on one side and lined with thick brush on the other.

By Monday morning, after about 12 hours of work, Long Beach homicide investigators had finished combing the area for evidence and had removed the tape marking the crime scene. But there were still some remnants of the camp, including soiled brown rugs spread over the dirt, gallon-sized water jugs and a few large garbage bags full of fast-food wrappers.

Malaepule's mother, who declined to give her name, placed an armful of yellow lilies and white roses on the ground. Then she leaned a framed photograph of her daughter against the flowers. Other relatives lighted tall votive candles.

"She was a good person," said Malaepule's sister, Veronica Puaauli, 27. "Very funny. Everybody loved her."

Some relatives expressed mixed feelings about her boyfriend. Malaepule would visit the camp to spend time with him, they said.

"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Fiaora Tuitasi, 21. "I met him two or three times. He was really nice, and really really cool."

Malaepule's uncle, Ilager McMoore, disagreed. "Some people say he was no good," said Malaepule, 42. "He got in a fight with a guy from another group about a week ago."

As McMoore and other family members surveyed the barren camp, they were accompanied by a self-described homeless advocate who called himself Apostle Larry Mays. While the family prayed over the burning candles and a framed photo of Malaepule, Mays stepped forward.

"We pray the enemy who did this will be caught," he said. "In the name of Jesus we pray."

Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office said autopsies and toxicology tests would be conducted on the bodies, which were discovered on the ground in an area 30 to 40 feet wide.

Police were directed to the crime scene by an anonymous tipster who called from a pay phone Sunday morning. Police have asked the caller to come forward to offer more information.

Although Winter said the killings apparently occurred Saturday afternoon or night, neighbors reported hearing yelling and gunfire, and then a car speeding away after midnight.

News reports of the grisly slayings moved Fabiola Navarro, 28, to come to the crime scene Monday. She feared that her sister was among the dead.

"The last time I heard from her was a month ago," said Navarro, who had spent hours driving along freeways in search of homeless people who might have information about her sister.

She was somewhat relieved to learn late Monday that the Latino woman who died was far younger than her sister.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Long Beach Police Department Homicide Dets. Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes at (562) 570-7244.

--Louis Sahagun and Ari B. Bloomekatz

Spike in murders over weekend but overall decline continues

In the wake of a spate of violence over the Halloween weekend, when at least 17 people were killed in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Police Department Chief William J. Bratton said additional officers have been deployed to South L.A.

LAPD commanders said a combination of unrelated gang and drug activity may have been behind some of the attacks. Despite the uptick, violent crime in Los Angeles is down 5.2% and homicides are down 8.8%, compared with the same time last year, Bratton said. The chief told the Los Angeles Police Commission this week that gang-related crimes have declined about 11%, and gang-related killings are down 25%. Bratton said the department was also gearing up for a push on gang crime after the beginning of the year.

--Richard Winton

Watts: Father shot as he walked to store

Dennis Brown Jr., a young black man, was shot as he was walking to a store near Century Boulevard and Central Avenue in Watts just before 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

He died a short time later at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood. Police said Brown was not a gang member. He was going to night school. In his wallet were pictures of his 1-year-old son. Brown had recently registered to vote for the first time. He was reading a book by Sen. Barack Obama in the days before the shooting, family members said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Los Angeles Police Dets. Mark Hahn or Natalie Plascencia at (213) 485-4341.

--Richard Winton