Eva Alta Tice, 60

Eva Alta Tice, a 60-year-old white woman, was stabbed to death Saturday, Dec. 24, in the 1100 block of South Pacific Avenue in San Pedro, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

[Editor's note: An earlier version of this post, based on information from the coroner's office, identified the victim as an unknown 60-year-old white female.]

Passersby found Tice lying on the sidewalk in front of a building about 7:15 p.m., authorities said. She had been stabbed in the chest multiple times. The passersby told police they had seen several men running from the area.

The woman died shortly after being taken to a hospital.

The killing is the latest in a surge of violent crimes in San Pedro in recent days. Typically, the predominantly blue-collar community that hugs the city's massive seaport experiences four or five serious violent crimes a week, but there were at least 10 incidents during a recent seven-day period, according to a Times analysis of crime data.

And killings in San Pedro are up dramatically in 2011 compared with 2010 -- a trend that runs counter to almost all other parts of Los Angeles, where homicide rates have remained flat or fallen. The stabbing was the ninth killing in San Pedro in 2011, compared with only two in 2010, the Times analysis showed.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call Harbor area homicide Dets. David Alvarez at (310) 726-7889 or Patty Batts at (310) 726-7879. Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS [(800) 222-8477].

-- Joel Rubin