Olukayode A. Owolabi, a 27-year-old black male, died Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records. The cause of death is pending.

Sean B. Cowen, a 24-year-old white male, died Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records. The cause of death is pending.

David Adalberto Hernandez-Licona, a 25-year-old Latino male, died Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records. The cause of death is pending.

Angela Anne Gatewood, a 48-year-old white woman, was pronounced dead on Thursday, Oct. 18, after she was assaulted in the 38500 block of 11th Street East in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records. 

Neil Jason Edgar, a man identified as Gatewood's husband, went to a Palmdale hospital about 10 a.m. that day "for some sort of medical assistance," and told hospital staff that he had assaulted his wife, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Rodney Moore said. 

When deputies went to the couple's home, they found Gatewood unresponsive, Moore said, with "trauma to the upper torso."

Gatewood was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:51 p.m., according to coroner's records. The cause of death was listed as blunt head trauma. 

 Moore said the case is being investigated as domestic violence.  

It's not clear why Edgar, a ...

Continue reading »

Bo Morrison, a 20-year-old black man, died Saturday, May 12, after he was shot in the 38100 block of 11th Street East in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Morrison was outside an apartment complex near where he lived when he was shot around 11:32 p.m. May 11, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Moore.

When deputies arrived, they found Morrison with gunshot wounds to his head and torso, according to coroner’s records. 

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:04 a.m., according to coroner’s records.

Investigators don’t have any suspect information or a motive for the shooting, Moore said. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.  

Contact the ...

Israel Joel Castaneda, a 35-year-old Latino, was fatally shot on Saturday, March 31, 2018, in the 37900 block of 47th Street East in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records. 

Castaneda was standing in front of Michael's Liquor and Market, 37935 47th Street East, around 10:50 p.m. when he was shot in the face and shoulder, according to coroner's records.  

A male "of unknown race" was seen running away from the scene, heading south on 47th Street East, shortly after the shooting, but investigators don't know if he was involved in the shooting, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

Castaneda, a resident of Palmdale, was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:15 p.m., according to coroner's records. The cause of death was listed as multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators don't ...

Continue reading »

James Earl Dimas Dimas Carrillo, a 49-year-old Latino male, died Thursday, March 29, after being shot in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Shalun Dique Smith, a 21-year-old black male, died Wednesday, Jan. 10, after being shot in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Montague Cervantez Mercado, a 47-year-old Latino, was beaten to death Saturday, Aug. 26, in the 42000 block of North Sierra Highway in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

An off-duty canine officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was driving north on Sierra Highway, approaching East Avenue M, when he saw Mercado and another man walking along the shoulder of the road about 9:05 a.m., Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza said. 

Mercado’s companion was carrying a piece of wood, about the size of a baseball bat, Mendoza said. While the officer watched, the man swung the wood and struck Mercado in the head.

When Mercado fell, Mendoza said, his companion — Daniel Nathan Nosch — continued beating him.

The officer immediately stopped his car, detained Nosch and tried to assist Mercado until help arrived, Mendoza said, 

Mercado was ...

Continue reading »

Vincent Coleman Roper, a 64-year-old black man, died Friday, Aug. 25, after he was stabbed in the 37600 block of Patty Court in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were called to Roper’s home at 8 a.m. after someone reported that his front door was open, Lt. Joe Mendoza said.

There were signs of a struggle and blood inside the house, Mendoza said, and Roper was found lying on the floor.

Roper was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:50 a.m., according to coroner’s records. He had been stabbed in the head, records showed. 

Investigators don’t have any information about suspects or a motive for the slaying. There was no evidence of a forced entry. Roper lived alone and it’s unclear whether anything was taken, authorities said. 

NBC Channel 4 News ...

Continue reading »

Gregory Troulman, a 63-year-old white man, was pronounced dead Sunday, July 2, after his body was found on 70th Street East, south of East Avenue M in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

After responding to a medical rescue call at 1:33 a.m., sheriff’s deputies found Troulman lying in the road, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Lt. Rodney Moore said. 

Troulman was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:48 a.m., according to coroner’s records.

He lived in Littlerock, about 13 miles south of where his body was found, Moore said. The area where he was found “was pretty desolate,” the lieutenant said. “We don’t know if he was walking or somebody shot him and put his body there.”

Troulman wasn’t carrying identification, so it took investigators a few days to discover who he was, Moore said.

Anyone with information is asked to ...

Continue reading »

Armando Garcia-Muro, a 17-year-old Latino, was killed Thursday, June 22, when he was struck by a deputy’s ricocheting bullet fired at a charging dog in the 38500 block of 10th Street East in Palmdale. 

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were called to the apartment complex about 3:40 a.m. regarding a complaint about loud music, said Lt. Rodney Moore. As the deputies walked up the driveway, a 60- to 65-pound pit bull charged them and bit one on the knee, Moore said.

The deputies pulled back to nurse the injured deputy, and a teenage boy ran out to drag the dog behind the apartment complex, Moore said. 

The boy, later identified as Armando, tied the dog up, but at some point it apparently broke free and ran toward the deputies again, Moore said. 

Two of the five deputies fired at the dog when it ...

Continue reading »

Armando Reyes, a 29-year-old Latino, died Sunday, June 4, after being shot in the 5500 block of Laurel Avenue in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Reyes was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend, and the two were traveling west on Laurel Avenue around 5:50 p.m., Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza said.

The couple stopped when they saw another car parked along the curb with at least two Latinos inside, Mendoza said. Reyes got out of the car to talk to the others, and an argument ensued.

One of the people in the car pulled a gun and shot Reyes, Mendoza said, striking him at least once in the torso.

The people in the car with the shooter drove away, heading west on Laurel and then north on Julian Lane, Mendoza said. Reyes managed to get back in the car ...

Continue reading »

Maria Valenzuela, an 82-year-old Latina, died on Thursday, March 30, after she was stabbed in the 37000 block of Springfield Street in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Deputies were called to Valenzuela’s home about 3:30 p.m. regarding an assault that had just occurred, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Troy Ewing. 

En route, the deputies saw a man walking down the street, covered in blood, Ewing said. The deputies detained the man, who said he had been involved in the incident they were investigating, Ewing said. 

The man, later identified as Richard Flores, 29, was Valenzuela’s grandson, Ewing said. 

When investigators got to the house, they found Valenzuela and her daughter, Flores’ mother, with multiple stab wounds. 

Valenzuela was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:40 p.m., according to coroner’s records. The ...

Continue reading »

Jaquarius Nyshawn Quinn, a 17-year-old black teenager, died Sunday, Nov 6, after he was found in the 2300 block of Old Harold Road in Palmdale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Deputies were called to the scene about 8:30 p.m. after receiving a report about a person lying in the road, between the shoulder and southbound lanes, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Joe Mendoza.

Quinn was taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds to the upper torso, Mendoza said. He was pronounced dead at 8:56 p.m., according to coroner’s records. 

Investigators initially couldn’t identify Quinn because he wasn’t carrying ID, Mendoza said.

The next day, his grandmother came to the sheriff’s station to report him missing, and from her description they were able to identify his body, Mendoza said.  

Quinn’s grandmother said she last ...

Continue reading »