Joseph Patton Jr., a 24-year-old black man, was fatally shot Thursday, Aug. 17, in the 900 block of East Dayman Street in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Long Beach police responded about 2:30 p.m. to a call about a shooting, according to a news release.

Officers found Patton inside a vehicle in the 1900 block of Myrtle Avenue suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. He was transported to a hospital, where he died at 5:45 p.m., according to coroner’s records. 

Officers determined the shooting occurred on Dayman Street and said Patton drove less than a block before he crashed into a parked vehicle.

An investigation led detectives to a residence near the scene of the shooting. Officers surrounded the house and called to anyone who was inside to exit, but there was no response, police said. The Long Beach SWAT team then deployed …

Continue reading »

Pedro Alberto Zamora Jr., a 37-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Thursday, Aug. 17, in the 8200 block of Morton Avenue in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles, according to coroner's records. 

Investigators think Zamora was either pushing or riding his bicycle on Morton Avenue around 2:40 p.m. when someone inside a car with tinted windows began shooting at him, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Rodney Moore said. 

Zamora was struck in his lower torso, Moore said. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:07 p.m., according to coroner's records.

The shooter's vehicle, described as a dark-colored, four-door sedan, was last seen heading north on Morton Avenue, Moore said. 

Zamora lived in the Highland Park area, about 14 miles north of where he was shot, according to coroner's records.

Investigators don't have a motive for the daytime shooting on a residential street. "We haven't …

Continue reading »

Kenneth Lewis, a 34-year-old black male, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, after being shot by law enforcement near the 1500 block of East 114th Street in Watts, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's records.

Jawara Tucker, a 29-year-old black man, died Tuesday, Aug. 15, after he was shot in the 5000 block of Klump Avenue in North Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Just after 11:30 p.m. Aug. 14, three men greeted three other men outside an apartment complex, Los Angeles Police Det. John Doerbecker said.

Within minutes, people in the group pulled out guns and started shooting at each other, he said. Residents in the area reported hearing between 15 and 20 shots, police said, and four people in the group were struck by gunfire.

Tucker and two others were taken to a nearby hospital.

Tucker was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. Aug. 15, according to coroner’s records.

Ryan Anthony Dunk, a 25-year-old black man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

One man remains hospitalized, and another was treated and released.

Police think the men in the group are documented gang members from the New …

Continue reading »

Steven Westbrook, a 26-year-old white man, died on Tuesday, Aug. 15, after he was beaten and stabbed in the 25600 block of Cypress Street in Lomita, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Westbrook went to visit a friend who lived near his Lomita home the evening of Aug. 13, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza. 

Investigators believe Westbrook and his friend, James Matthew Sias, 33, got into an argument and that Sias began assaulting Westbrook around 8:40 p.m., Mendoza said.

Westbrook was taken to the hospital with head trauma and stab wounds, Mendoza said. He was pronounced dead two days later at 4:15 p.m., according to coroner’s records. The cause of death was listed as blunt head trauma and a stab wound to the neck. 

The Daily Breeze reported that Westbrook was a former Narbonne High School student who worked at All Access Staging and Productions in …

Continue reading »

Raul de la Torre, a 45-year-old Latino, was shot and killed on Monday, Aug. 14, as he was driving in the 10300 block of Fern Street in South El Monte. 

De la Torre was driving west on Fern Street about 10:30 p.m. when he was hit by gunfire from outside the car, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza. 

He drove about half a block further before he crashed into two parked cars, Mendoza said.

De la Torre was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:53 p.m., according to coroner’s records. The cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the chest. 

Mendoza said De La Torre was driving a white four-door sedan through the residential area when he was shot. De La Torre had family in Covina, he said, but had been living with friends in South El Monte, near where he was shot. 

Investigators believe …

Continue reading »

Ryan Anthony Dunk, a 25-year-old black man, was shot and killed Monday, Aug. 14, in the 5000 block of Klump Avenue in North Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Just after 11:30 p.m. Aug. 14, three men greeted three other men outside an apartment complex, Los Angeles Police Det. John Doerbecker said.

Within minutes, people in the group pulled out guns and started shooting at each other, he said. Residents in the area reported hearing between 15 and 20 shots, police said, and four people in the group were struck by gunfire.

Dunk was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:52 p.m., according to coroner’s records.

Three others, including Jawara Tucker, a 29-year-old black man, were taken to a hospital. Tucker was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.

One man remains hospitalized, and another has been released, police said.

Police think the men in the group are documented gang members from …

Continue reading »

Melissa Bryana Gutierrez, a 24-year-old Latina, was shot and killed Saturday, Aug. 12, in the 400 block of South Witmer Street in Westlake, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Gutierrez was found at 10:49 p.m. in the driver’s seat of a gray Nissan sedan that had struck a power pole, Los Angeles Police Det. John Melendez said.

It appears that Gutierrez was shot while driving, and she crashed, Melendez said. Two other people who were in the car were injured in the wreck but are expected to survive.

Gutierrez was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:15 p.m., according to coroner’s records.

Anyone with information is asked to call Rampart detectives at (213) 484-3650. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @nicolesantacruz and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.

Jonathan Christopher Sandoval-Aleman, a 23-year-old Latino, was fatally shot Saturday, Aug. 12, north of the 700 block of South Orange Avenue on East 7th Street in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

About 11:30 p.m., Long Beach police responded to a call about a shooting in the area, according to a news release. Upon arriving, officers found Sandoval-Aleman suffering from several gunshot wounds to the chest.

Sandoval-Aleman was standing in front of his house when he was shot, according to authorities. After he was shot, he crossed the street, where he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:50 p.m., according to coroner’s records. 

Two days later, Long Beach detectives arrested Drake Nathaniel Loza, 18, in connection with the killing, according to the police report. 

Prosecutors charged Loza on Aug. 16 with one count of murder as well as one count each of attempted murder, …

Continue reading »

Derrick Lamont Sinclair, a 42-year-old black male, died Friday, Aug. 11, after being shot in West Compton, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Eric Paul Bogart, a 49-year-old white man, died Thursday, Aug. 10, after he was shot by police in the 1600 block of Alta Mura Road in Pacific Palisades, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

About 10:53 p.m., officers from the LAPD’s Pacific Division responded to a call at a home and discovered that Bogart had been arguing with a woman who lived at the residence, and the two were in an on-again, off-again relationship, said Los Angeles Police Capt. Brian Wendling.

The man, later identified as Bogart, had fired several rounds at the woman, but she escaped unharmed. When officers arrived at the home they met with a private security guard who told them the suspect had barricaded himself inside.

Police then set up a perimeter around the house and called in a SWAT team, said Officer Drake Madison, an LAPD spokesman.

Crisis negotiators tried to speak to the …

Continue reading »

Gregory Lamound McDonald, a 45-year-old black male, died Wednesday, Aug. 9, after being shot in Compton, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Hye Soon Oh, a 67-year-old Asian woman, was fatally shot Tuesday, Aug. 8, in the 2900 block of Montrose Avenue in Glendale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Glendale police responded about 8:30 p.m. after a report of gunfire in the area, according to Sgt. Robert William, a department spokesman. Officers found Oh on the ground near a vehicle in an open carport area of an apartment complex.

She had a single gunshot wound, according to William. Oh was transported to the hospital where she died at 9:40 p.m., according to coroner’s records.

Investigators believe it was not a random shooting and that Oh was possibly targeted for a robbery as she was returning home from her business, William said.

“Because the crime happened somewhat in a confined area, away from public view, we don’t believe this was a random act,” William said.

Anyone who may have information about …

Continue reading »