The Homicide Report

Carlos Villa Sanchez, 65

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Carlos Sanchez, a 65-year-old Latino, was found dead Thursday, May 13, near 165th Place and South Menlo Avenue in Harbor Gateway, according to LAPD officials.

Sanchez's body was discovered in his car in a parking lot, said LAPD Det. Keri Potter.

The victim had sustained multiple sharp trauma to his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:15 p.m., according to coroner's records.

Investigators do not know how long Sanchez’s body was in the vehicle or if he was killed in that location.

No arrests have been made in connection with the case, Potter said.

Anyone with information about the death of Carlos Sanchez is asked to contact LAPD South Bureau Homicide Dets. Nate Kouri or Tom Eiman at (213) 485-4341.

-- Sarah Ardalani

Juan Pablo Magallon Garcia, 20

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Juan Magallon Garcia, a 20-year-old Latino, died Wednesday, May 12, three days after he was shot in the 1200 block of West 101st Street in Westmont, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

On May 9 about 8:25 p.m., Garcia was exiting the passenger side of a vehicle when he was shot, said sheriff's homicide Det. Phil Guzman, who is handling the investigation.

Garcia's friends took him to a hospital in Inglewood for treatment, said Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office; however, he died Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. due to complications from his injuries.

There is no definitive information as to where the shooter was when Garcia was shot, but investigators believe the assailant was on foot.

Guzman was unable to provide information about the possible suspect.

Garcia was a known 18th Street gang member, Guzman said, and he believes the shooting was gang motivated.

Anyone with information about …

Jose Felipe Sanchez, 16

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Jose Sanchez, a 16-year-old Latino, died Tuesday, May 11, a day after he was shot in the 5800 block of Gage Avenue in Bell Gardens, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Authorities found Sanchez about 5:40 p.m. Monday, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Lillian Peck.

Sanchez, who had been shot in the head, was taken to a hospital in Lynwood, where he died the next morning at 7:10 a.m., according to coroner's records.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Sanchez was involved in an altercation before he was shot.

Investigators have determined the shooting was gang-related.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

-- Sarah Ardalani

Arnell Robert Smith, 20

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Arnell Smith, a 20-year-old black man, was shot and killed Tuesday, May 11, in the 800 block of North Inglewood Avenue in Inglewood, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Smith was discovered at the location after Inglewood police were called to an apartment about 7:30 a.m. when a bullet tore through a ceiling , struck a headboard and hit an 8-year-old boy in the head. The child was not injured in the incident, police said.

Police followed the path of the bullet and found Smith in a vacant apartment in the same building, said Inglewood police Det. Jack Aranda, who is handling the investigation.

Smith had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to coroner's records.

Pending the investigation, authorities said they could not provide additional information.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Det. Aranda at (310) 412-5246.

-- …

Harold Eugene Germany, 21

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Harold Germany, a 21-year-old black man, was fatally shot Tuesday, May 11, in the 200 block of West 89th Street in Broadway-Manchester, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Germany was walking down the street about 1:50 p.m. when he was approached by an unknown individual and shot, said Det. Scott Smith, who is handling the investigation.

Germany was taken to California Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:20 p.m., according to coroner's records.

There were several witnesses to the shooting, Smith said. The shooter was described as a black male.

Smith said Germany was a known gang member, and authorities believed the shooting was gang-related.

Investigators do not have any suspects at this time.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact LAPD Dets. Smith or Bill Ritch at (213) 485-4341. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (800-222-8477). …

Ramon Preciado Jr., 19

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Ramon Preciado Jr., a 19-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Monday, May 10, in the 600 block of North Rockvale Avenue in Azusa, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Preciado was approached by three people about 8:45 p.m., words were exchanged and he was shot, said Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office. The suspects fled after the shooting, Winter said.

The next day, authorities determined the shooting was gang-related.

Photo: Jahziel Velenzo, 17, is suspected of killing Ramon Preciado Jr., 19, on May 10. Credit: Sheriff's Dept. Investigators identified the shooter as Jahziel Velenzo, a 17-year-old Latino. He's described as 5 foot 3 and weighs 160 pounds. Velenzo is currently at-large and should be considered to be armed and dangerous, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said.

Anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of Velenzo is asked to contact sheriff’s Homicide Dets. K. Lowe at (323) 890-5604 or R. Hernandez at (323) 890-5549.

-- Sarah Ardalani

Top photo: Ramon Preciado Jr. Credit: DMV. Bottom …

Ivy Bodkins, 29 [Updated]

May 17, 2010, 9:28 a.m.

Ivy Bodkins, a 29-year-old white woman, was shot and killed Monday, May 10, in the 200 block of West Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Police responded to a domestic abuse call at a condominium complex about 7:30 a.m., according to a Long Beach Police Department news release.

When officers arrived at the residence, they learned from Bodkins' family member that her estranged husband had forced her out of the home at gunpoint.

At the same time, police at the scene received a report that a woman's body had been found in the underground parking structure of the complex. Officers went searching for the victim and found Bodkins' body, which had sustained a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Bodkins was pronounced dead at the scene, according to coroner's records.

During the investigation, Long Beach police obtained information that the assailant was staying …

Donovan Morris, 34

May 17, 2010, 9:27 a.m.

Donovan Morris, a 34-year-old black man, was shot and killed by an LAPD officer Monday, May 10, in the 21000 block of Victory Boulevard in Canoga Park, authorities said.

The shooting took place more than three hours after Long Beach police responding to a domestic abuse call discovered Morris' wife, Ivy Bodkins, a 29-year-old white woman, dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Officers called to the scene at a downtown Long Beach apartment building learned from a family member that Morris had forced his wife out of the home at gunpoint.

While investigating, officers received a report that a woman's body had been found in the underground parking structure of the complex. Bodkins was pronounced dead at the scene, according to coroner's records.

During the investigation, Long Beach police obtained information that Morris was staying at a family member’s residence in Woodland Hills.

Investigators requested the assistance of …

911 call: 'It's the projects...a dude got shot'

May 13, 2010, 12:55 p.m.

Several weeks ago, Ramond Allen, a 36-year-old black man, was shot to death walking inside the Jordan Downs Housing Development in Watts.

Authorities said Allen was shot several times at about 4:20 a..m. on Saturday, April 24. He was taken to a hospital where he died 30 minutes later, according to coroner's records. Investigators described the assailant as an unknown black male and said they believe the shooting was gang-related.

The Homicide Report has acquired 911 audio from the Los Angeles Fire Department recounting the initial moments after Allen was shot.

On the tape, a woman tells the operator that she heard gunshots, looked out the window and saw a man on the ground. The operator asks for a description of the victim and the woman approaches Allen to give more details. She says, "He's not breathing. He's a older dude. He looks like he's in his 30s or …

Cynthia Louise Ford, 52

May 13, 2010

Cynthia Louise Ford, a 52-year-old white female, died Thursday, May 13, after sustaining blunt force trauma.

Times coverage: Survivors seek solace

May 12, 2010, 2:18 p.m.

Photo: Donna Brown, whose son Clifton was murdered, holds a picture of him at a meeting of the San Gabriel Valley chapter of Parents Of Murdered Children. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

Each murder begins a new chapter for the friends and family left to pick up the pieces.

In a story in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times, reporter Corina Knoll profiles the support group Parents of Murdered Children. The group's monthly meeting allows people to share their heartbreak and grief as they mourn over time.

Below is an excerpt from: Bereft parents try to fill the holes in their hearts

Here is the woman whose daughter-in-law stabbed her son to death and smothered her two grandchildren in their beds. And there is the mother who discovered her daughter's limp body inside the family van. The timid couple who have thought about taking their own lives since their son was knifed in the back — they come here too.
At the Santa Anita Church in Arcadia, they gather for a monthly meeting of a club no one aspires to join. They are the …

Comments, when do they cross a line?

May 11, 2010, 12:47 p.m.

The Homicide Report has changed its request for comments to better reflect the scope of posts that the report has invited since it began in January 2007. Instead of “Share a Memory,” readers are now asked to “Share a memory or thought” about the homicide victim. Also, links are provided to frequently asked questions about our practice of including killings by police, and the race/ethnicity of victims and suspects. A resource list for victims' families is also available.

The change was made in part to stem debate among readers about what is appropriate on the Homicide Report. Some readers have been upset by critical comments and protested that The Times was inviting only memories. In response, we have clarified on individual comment threads that our intent always has been to create a forum both for victims to be remembered and for readers to discuss the impact and causes of violence …

Dispatch: 'I thought if I fell asleep, I'd wake up and realize this nightmare was just a dream'

May 10, 2010, 12:45 p.m.

Photo: Otis Williams and his son at Disneyland. Credit: Natascha Jones The phone call came in the middle of dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Biloxi, Miss., on Aug. 21, 2009.

Natascha Jones' former husband, the father of her 7-year-old son, had been shot. Paramedics said he'd be OK, her ex-sister-in-law told her.

"She said she'd call me back with more information," Jones said, "but she didn't."

Despite their split three years earlier, Jones had stayed close to Otis Williams, 32. That summer already had been one of the most difficult times of Jones' life. The Air Force master sergeant, a 21-year veteran, had been on leave to help her father battle brain cancer. Despite the efforts to save his life, he had died in July of 2009.

After her father's death, when Jones needed a person to talk to, she turned to Williams for support. They spoke to each other almost every day and shared custody of their …

Brandon Garrido, 16

May 10, 2010, 9:36 a.m.

Brandon Garrido, a 16-year-old Latino, died Monday, May 10, in the 3200 block of East 1st Street in Boyle Heights, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

[Garrido was initially listed by the coroner as an unidentified Latino, believed to be 25 to 30.]

Brandon, suffering from a gunshot wound, was found by a passerby about 2:25 a.m., said Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office.

The person flagged down the fire department who pronounced Brandon dead at the scene, said LAPD Hollenback Det. Victor Marin, who is handling the investigation.

There were no witnesses to the shooting, and investigators do not have any leads on a possible suspect. Brandon was not a gang member, Marin said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Det. Marin at (323) 342-8961.

-- Sarah Ardalani

Jose Merino, 58

May 10, 2010, 9:36 a.m.

Jose Merino, a 58-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Sunday, May 9, at 55th Street and Loma Vista Avenue in Maywood, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Merino discovered that one of his parked vehicles was struck in a hit-and-run and went searching for the driver early Sunday morning, said sheriff's homicide Det. Martin Rodriguez, who is handling the investigation. In his search, Merino, a resident of Maywood, began driving through an active gang territory when he was shot at an intersection, Rodriguez said.

Although wounded Merino continued driving west for about a quarter to half a mile when his car struck two parked vehicles near Maywood and 55th Street, Rodriguez said. Residents heard the crash and called authorities.

Paramedics initially believed Merino was injured because of the traffic collision, Rodriguez said, however when they pulled him from the car they found that he had several gunshot wounds.

Authorities …

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