Luis Manuel Morales, 33

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Luis Manuel Morales, 33, a Latino man, was found dead in the trunk of a car at 2119 Alameda St. in LAPD’s Newton Division at about noon Tuesday, Sept. 18, detectives said. The death is being called a homicide.

Morales was a bandit tax driver, originally from Mexico City, investigators said. They believe he was killed by gunfire on Sept. 13 and put in the trunk of the taxi, which was then driven a short distance and parked, blocking a driveway in the 200 block of E. 62nd Street. The taxi was towed, and employees of U.S. Tow called police five days later to report that a taxicab in storage seemed to have blood dripping from it. Police found Morales’ body inside.

(This is the end of the coroner’s list of homicide victims, Sept. 17 through Sept. 30, 2007)