Paul Smith, a 58-year-old black man, was shot and killed by police officers on Jan. 14 in the 1000 block of West 62nd Street in Vermont-Slauson, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Smith, who was wanted in connection with a robbery at a nearby L.A. Fitness, barricaded himself in a home in South Los Angeles before being shot by police SWAT officers who went inside.
The shooting occurred about 8:30 a.m., when police went to the home to investigate a robbery at a gym hours earlier, but the suspect approached the front door with a gun, said LAPD Sgt. Albert Gonzalez.
No officers were hurt in the incident, Gonzalez said.
-- Joseph Serna
Corey Raymon Norflin, a 42-year-old black man, was shot and killed Jan. 13 in the 700 block of East 76th Place in Florence, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Norflin was standing on his front porch at about 8 p.m. when he got into an argument with someone and was shot, said Los Angeles Police Det. Chris Barling.
He was struck at least once in the torso and pronounced dead at the scene.
Barling said it is unknown how many people were involved in the dispute and how the assailant fled the scene.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the LAPD's criminal gang homicide division at (213) 485-4341. Anonymous tips can be made at (800) 222-8477.
-- Nicole Santa Cruz and Ari Bloomekatz
Jose Edgaro Velazco-Alvarado, a 34-year-old Latino male, died Jan. 13 after being stabbed while on board a Red Line train in East Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Velazco-Alvarado, who was stabbed by another passenger, was taken to a hospital in grave condition when the train came to a stop at the Vermont/Santa Monica station, said Metro spokesman Marc Littman.
A security camera captured a brief verbal exchange between Velazco-Alvarado and the assailant just moments before the stabbing.
"There was a verbal exchange," said Det. Keith Schumaker of the Sheriff's Department's Transit Bureau. "Then the suspect produces a weapon and lunged toward the victim with a stabbing motion."
The assailant was described as 18 to 24 years old. There was no immediate word that authorities had identified a suspect or if anyone was in custody.
A woman told The Times a few hours after the incident in a …
Pomona police detectives arrested two Latino men in connection with the shooting death of Covan Brady, a 25-year-old black man. Israel Magana, 23 of Pomona, and Natividad Gonzales, 27, of Montclair, were taken into custody on January 10.
According to police, Magana and Gonzalez are both known gang members who "targeted Victim Brady for activities he was involved in."
Magana is being held in lieu of more than $2 million bail and is scheduled to appear in Pomona Superior Court on Feb. 19, according to Los Angeles County jail records. Gonzales was released on bond on Jan. 15, according to records, and is also due on court on Feb. 19.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Pomona Police Detectives at (909) 620-2085. If you'd like to remain anonymous you may contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
-- Megan Garvey
Jordan Charles Palomino, a 19-year-old Latino male, died Sunday, Jan. 12, after being shot in Sun Valley, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Genesis Daniel Lopez, an 18-year-old Latino male, was shot and killed Jan. 12 in the 900 block of East Holt Avenue in Pomona, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Lopez was tagging buildings with another person when he was confronted by two people, according to authorities.
One person pulled out a gun and shot Lopez multiple times in the alley. Police received a 911 call about 2:30 a.m.
Lopez was found in the alley south of Holt and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The killing was Pomona's first of 2014, according to Pomona Police Lt. Eddie Vazquez.
-- Samantha Schaefer
Jose Eduardo Ocampo, a 25-year-old Latino male, was stabbed to death Jan. 10 in the 18100 block of Sundowner Way in Santa Clarita, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Deputies from the Santa Clarita sheriff's station responding to a call at about 10:45 p.m. found Ocampo unconscious on the ground with several stab wounds to his chest.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anyone with information about the stabbing can call the Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wanting to remain anonymous may call (800) 222-TIPS (8477); text the letters TIPLA plus the tip to CRIMES (274637); or use the website lacrimestoppers.org.
-- Jeff Gottlieb
Myra M. Cadano, a 30-year-old Filipino woman, was found dead Thursday, Jan. 9, in the 21900 block of Roscoe Boulevard in Canoga Park, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Tenants in an apartment complex complained of water coming through their ceiling, said Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner’s office. A manager looked inside an apartment, found Cadano and Marvin Capistrano, 40, dead and called 911, Winter said.
The couple were apparently married and had a child, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Police Department. Capistrano committed suicide by asphyxiation, Winter said. Cadano died of suffocation and blunt force trauma.
Cadano’s death was the result of domestic violence, according to a news release.
Cadano and Capistrano were pronounced dead at the scene at 1:20 p.m., according to coroner’s records.
Anyone with information can call the LAPD Topanga Division homicide detectives at (818) 756-3363. Those who …
Ramiro Antonio Melendez-Lobos, a 22-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Wednesday, Jan. 8, on the corner of Delano Street and Cedros Avenue in Van Nuys, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
About 6:45 a.m., Melendez-Lobos was walking southbound in the area when a man approached him and fired a semi-automatic handgun several times, according to an LAPD news release.
Melendez-Lobos was struck and fell to the sidewalk, according to the release. The suspect, described only as Latino, ran to a light gray Honda or Acura sedan, got in on the passenger side, and fled westbound on Delano street.
Melendez-Lobos was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:55 a.m., according to coroner’s records.
Anyone with information can call the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division detective desk at (818) 374-0040. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Xiaolin Li, a 41-year-old Asian woman, was stabbed to death Tuesday, Jan. 7, in the 900 block of Arcadia Avenue in Arcadia, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
About 8:25 a.m., police received a report of a woman not breathing at an apartment complex. When officers went inside, they found Li with multiple stab wounds.
Li was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:22 a.m., said Ed Winter, a coroner’s spokesman.
Witnesses directed police to Li Zhu, 68, who had left the building before police arrived. Investigators determined that Zhu was Li’s father-in-law and that the two lived with other family members at the apartment.
Police believe Zhu stabbed Li over an ongoing dispute, and they arrested Zhu on suspicion of murder that day.
On Jan. 8, Zhu apparently committed suicide at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, according to an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department news …
Javier Reveles, a 50-year-old Latino male, died Tuesday, Jan. 7, after being shot in Willowbrook, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Steve Alexander Galvez-Figueroa, a 2-year-old Latino male, died Monday, Jan. 6, after being beaten by his babysitter's boyfriend in the 11400 block of Maza Street in Norwalk, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
About 1 p.m. on Jan. 5, deputies received a call that the baby was not breathing, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
When deputies arrived, Galvez-Figueroa was unresponsive and was taken to a Long Beach hospital in critical condition, the release stated. Sheriff's homicide detectives said physicians determined the boy was brain-dead.
The child's mother had left him in the care of a babysitter earlier that day, according to the release.
Deputies arrested Norwalk resident Elder Matamoros, 23, the boyfriend of the child's babysitter, on Jan. 5 on suspicion of cruelty to a child likely to produce great bodily injury or death, according to the release.
On July 14, Matamoros …