Anthony Nelson III, 20

Anthony Nelson III, a 20-year-old black man, died on Tuesday, Dec. 27, after he was stabbed in the 4900 block of East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., Nelson was standing in the parking lot of the Belvedere Skatepark when he was stabbed, said said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza.

Nelson, a skateboarder who lived in the area, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:14 p.m.

Investigators don’t know why Nelson was in the parking lot, and they haven’t been able to get any suspect information, Mendoza said.

“As soon as it happened, the people around him were like, ‘I’m out of there,’ ” Mendoza said.

Nelson lived nearby and was not a gang member, Mendoza said.

The area is predominately Latino, and local gang members may have mistaken Nelson for a member of a rival gang. 

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 Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.