Vermont Vista: Reginald Paris, 56

Reginald Paris, a 56-year-old black man, died Monday, August 3 after he was stabbed, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Paris, of Compton, was found wounded and lying on the sidewalk in the 10700 block of South Figueroa Street in the Vermont Vista area of South Los Angeles, said Craig Harvey, chief coroner investigator.

Harvey said Paris was taken to the hospital, where he died at 6:02 a.m.

-- Anthony Pesce

Lancaster: Kevin Polinskey, 29

Kevin Polinskey a 29-year-old white man, was stabbed in the 1600 block of East Avenue I in Lancaster on Thursday, July 23, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Polinskey, of Palmdale, got into an argument in the parking lot of a trailer park which escalated and led to his stabbing, said Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner's office.

The incident happened about 9:30 p.m. and he died at the hospital at 11:44 p.m., Winter said.

-- Anthony Pesce

Pomona: Robin Ridgeway, 49

Robin Ridgeway, a 49-year-old white woman, was stabbed Thursday, July 23,at a mental facility in the 900 block of South Hamilton Boulevard in Pomona, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Authorities said Ridgeway, a resident of the facility, was sitting under a tree in the yard of Hamilton Villa with two other people when another resident stabbed her in the back. The attack took place about 4:30 p.m.

Sgt. Matt Stone of the Pomona Police Department said Nicole Stewart, a 33-year-old black woman, apparently stabbed Ridgeway because she believed the victim was seeing her boyfriend. Stone said that Ridgeway and Stewart's boyfriend were not romantically involved.

After the stabbing, Ridgeway was taken to the lobby of the facility, where she collapsed. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Stone said Stewart tried to run from the scene but police arrested her within minutes. Stewart is being held in lieu of $1-million bail. Officials at the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said prosecutors are pursuing the case, and Stewart is set to be arraigned Aug.12.

Stone said he did not know the extent of Stewart's mental illness and added that he was unsure how she obtained the knife used stab Ridgeway.

-- Anthony Pesce

Hollywood: Frederick Lombardo, 45

Frederick Lombardo, a 45-year-old white man, died from a laceration to his left chest July 18 in the 6100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

A passerby called police about 10:50 p.m. Saturday to report that Lombardo was lying unconscious outside a building at El Centro Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. Police said he appeared to be homeless.

"When officers arrived, they saw that the man had a wound to his upper torso," Los Angeles Police Department officer Rosario Herrera said. She said it was unknown whether the man had been shot or stabbed.

Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. The cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, authorities said.

-- Ruben Vives

Westchester: Ricardo Contreras, 45

Ricardo Contreras, a 45-year-old Latino, was stabbed several times and died July 18. The stabbing happened in the 8900 block of Kittyhawk Avenue in Westchester, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Paramedics pronounced Contreras dead at the abandoned home in which he was discovered, authorities said.

Details about how the body was discovered were not immediately available. Police would not confirm a published report that said a real estate agent showing the house to a buyer discovered the body.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is bank-owned and listed for sale by Modern Realty Co., which specializes in foreclosures and bank-owned properties throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to its website. A company representative could not be reached for comment.

-- Ruben Vives

Highland Park: Lars Sanchez, 4 [Updated]

[Update: Authorities identified the woman who killed Lars Sanchez before taking her own life as his mother Yolanda Tijerina, 43. Tijerina had come to the attention of Los Angeles County social workers nine months earlier when the principal at her son's preschool called the child abuse hotline to report her erratic behavior.

Read more Times' coverage about this case: Boy's death shows weaknesses of L.A. County's child welfare system]

Lars Sanchez, a 4-year-old Latino boy, was stabbed to death July 18 in the 300 block of Vista Place in Highland Park, officials said.

Sanchez was apparently killed by a woman, who was also found dead in the home with her wrists slit, authorities said.

The woman, who has not been identified, and child were pronounced dead at the scene, a home on a narrow alley across the street from Garvanza Park, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Rosario Herrera.

Firefighters reported the death to police at 9:37 a.m., said Los Angeles Police Capt. Bill Murphy. Murphy would not say why firefighters were called to the area.

“It’s a brutal scene in there,” Murphy said.

Murphy would not say whether the victims had been involved with the county’s department of children and family services. He said county staff were not at the scene.

Neighbor Henry Lemus, 26, a restaurant server’s assistant, said he was shocked when he heard the news. Although he did not know them well, he was aware that a small child lived in the house. 

“It’s sad because sometimes we hear that little kid crying,” Lemus said.

Lemus, a father of three, said that if he had realized the victims were in troubled, he would have intervened. “I wish I could have done something about it,” Lemus said. “I would have gone in and taken that kid away. But it’s too late now.”

Lemus and several other neighbors said they believe that an older woman also lived in the house, possibly with two grown daughters. He and other neighbors did not know the names of the people living there.

Neighbors stood in their driveways as police cordoned off surrounding streets and strung up yellow crime-scene tape.

Carlos Mendoza, 39, a bellman at a Hollywood hotel, said he moved to the neighborhood with his wife two years ago because he considered it safe.

“It was kind of strange to see something like this,” he said as he walked his dog past several police cars.

Alfred Glen, 46, a father of two, said he has lived in the neighborhood 25 years and was not worried about his family’s safety until today.

“It’s tragic,” he said of the deaths. “I try to shield my family from the news, but then it hits home.”

-- Ari Bloomekatz

Photo: A Highland Park neighbor of Yolanda Tijerina reacts upon hearing the news of the deaths of Tijerina and her son, Lars Sanchez. Lars had been decapitated and Tijerina had a knife wound to her wrist. Credit: Christina House/For The Times

Pasadena: Isidro Sanchez, 39

Isidro Sanchez, a 39-year-old Latino, was stabbed in the head and neck July 16 at North Fair Oaks Avenue and East Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Lt. John Dewar from the Pasadena Police Department said Sanchez is also known as Mario Sanchez Pacheco.

Dewar said Sanchez was stabbed in the parking lot of Prestige Auto Repair on Fair Oaks Avenue, then made his way about 100 feet toward the intersection, where he collapsed on the sidewalk. Dewar said someone walking by saw him and called paramedics.

Sanchez was taken to the hospital, where he died a short time later.

Police believe Sanchez was drinking with a group of people in the parking lot when a fight broke out, but detectives do not know what happened leading up to the stabbing, Dewar said. Police received the call about the incident at 11:20 p.m., he said.

Police are still investigating the incident and do not have a description of the suspect or a motive, Dewar said.

-- Anthony Pesce in Pasadena

Photo: A street memorial for Isidro Sanchez, 39, who was killed July 16 in Pasadena. Credit: Anthony Pesce / Los Angeles Times

Dispatch: "RIP Crystal"

On June 26, a maintenance man went to an apartment on the 7000 block of Whitsett Ave. in Valley Glen to fix a leak. Inside, he found Crystal Zaldivar, a 17-year-old Latina, stabbed multiple times in the home she shared with an aunt.

Authorities called to the scene pronounced Zaldivar dead, according to Los Angeles Police Det. Rich Wheeler.

Later that day, police said her neighbor, Martin Ordonez, an 18-year-old Latino, told authorities that he had killed her.

Wheeler said that Ordonez told police he got into a heated argument at the apartment building with Zaldivar. Ordonez then allegedly got a kitchen knife and entered Zaldivar's apartment, stabbing her multiple times in the upper torso.

Ordonez pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder at his arraignment on June 30 at the Van Nuys Superior Court. He is represented by public defender Tony Corti. Ordonez will appear in court again on Aug. 20 to schedule a time for his preliminary hearing. He is being held at County Jail in lieu of $1,025,000 bail.

Police said that Ordonez and Zaldivar were not romantically involved.

After her death, Zaldivar's friends placed candles in front of her apartment door and outside the building gate.  “I love you” and “RIP Crystal” were etched into windowpane dust and spray painted on the sidewalk.

According to Monica Carazo of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Zaldivar attended Ulysses S. Grant Senior High School until March when she transferred to a continuation school.

Neighbors said they have not seen Zaldivar's aunt at the apartment since her niece was stabbed to death. They recalled Zaldivar as a nice girl.

-- Sarah Ardalani in Valley Glen

Top photo: Candles and messages left at the Valley Glen apartment where Crystal Zaldivar, 17, was found stabbed to death June 26. Credit: Sarah Ardalani/Los Angeles Times. Bottom photo: Image of Crystal Zaldivar taped to wall outside the apartment she shared with an aunt.

Long Beach: Jose Cruz, 31

Jose Cruz, a 31-year-old Latino, was stabbed in the chest and died on July 7 in the 1700 block of East 7th Street in Long Beach, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Long Beach police officers received a call about a family dispute at about 1 p.m. They found Cruz with a stab wound. He was taken to the hospital, where he died, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

A 53-year-old man was arrested in connection with the killing, but police did not release his identity.

Anyone with information is asked to call Long Beach Police Department Dets. Russell Moss or Terri Hubert at 562-570-7244.

-- Anthony Pesce

Hollywood: Craig Wright, 50

Craig Wright, a 50-year-old black man, was stabbed several times and died July 1 in the 1700 block of Vista Del Mar Avenue in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Wright was in line at a food distribution center for the homeless when he got into an argument with Rodrigo Sosa, a 43-year old Latino, coroner's officials said. Sosa allegedly stabbed Wright several times about 9 a.m., officials said.

Wright was taken to the hospital after the attack, where he died about 10:15 a.m., said Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner's office.

Sosa was arrested by LAPD officers from the Hollywood Division at 9:15 p.m. the same day, according to sheriff's jail records. He is being held in lieu of $1,020,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court July 16. Records also indicate that federal immigration officials have placed a hold on Sosa.

-- Anthony Pesce

Lynwood: Adolfo Medina, 61

Adolfo Medina, a 61-year-old Latino, was shot and stabbed several times and died July 1 in the 11300 block of Ernestine Avenue in Lynwood, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Medina, a Lynwood city employee, was attacked in the yard of the Lynwood Department of Public Works, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Medina went to the yard about 5:30 a.m., and sometime later that morning he got into an argument that resulted in the attack, according to the Sheriff's Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:32 a.m., coroner's investigators said.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call the Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

-- Anthony Pesce

Central-Alameda: Steve Moore, 39

Steve Moore, a 39-year-old black man, was stabbed in the chest in the 4700 block of South Hooper Avenue in Central-Alameda at 1:51 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. He died in the hospital the same day at 2:25 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

John Jordan, a 54-year-old black man, has been charged in Moore's death as well as "assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury," according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Moore and Jordan allegedly got into an argument which escalated from the men exchanging blows to the stabbing, officials said.

-- Anthony Pesce

Reseda: Saida Munguia, 40

Saida Munguia, a 40-year-old Latina, was stabbed several times in the 7600 block of Reseda Boulevard in Reseda. She died June 1, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Munguia was found dead in her apartment about 2:50 p.m., officials said.

Bryan Garcia Munguia, Saida Munguia's son, was been arrested in connection with his mother's death. He was found at a restaurant across the street from the apartment  at 11:15 p.m. Monday, said a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

-- Raja Abdulrahim

Northridge: Joaquin Rodriguez, 21

Joaquin Rodriguez, a 21-year-old Latino, was stabbed several times and died June 26 in the 18600 block of Frankfort Street in Northridge, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Rodriguez was driving his Jeep when one of the passengers reached over and stabbed him several times, according to KNBC-TV.

KNBC reported that Rodriguez crashed his Jeep into a trailer after being stabbed. The attacker got into another vehicle that was waiting nearby and fled.

Rodriguez died at the scene.

-- Anthony Pesce

Read NBC's account: Passenger stabs, kills driver