Cause of death determinations: July to December 2011

Los Angeles County coroner's officials routinely provide The Times with a weekly list of deaths initially considered to be homicides.

Reporters follow up with the department to obtain additional information about each case and, in some cases, learn that the victim's cause of death has been deferred. This means the final determination on the mode of death is postponed pending additional laboratory tests. The death can later be ruled a homicide, suicide, natural or accident. The results usually are available within six to eight weeks.

The Homicide Report has followed up with the coroner's office on about 30 deferred cases from 2010 and 2011. Here are their findings in cases in the final six months of 2011:

A man identified only as John Doe #86 was found dead Tuesday, July 5, in Lancaster. The skeletal remains were discovered behind a closed business after the Fourth of July weekend. Due to the state of the remains, investigators said they were unable to identify the victim or cause of death. The case was closed as undetermined.

Ralph Jimenez, a 65-year-old man, was found dead Friday, July 29, in Cypress Park. Firefighters responded to a report of a fire in an alley and discovered Jimenez's burning body. According to coroner's officials, they are still investigating the death and the case remains deferred.

Gorky Lopatinsky Sr., an 81-year-old white man, died Tuesday, Aug. 2, a day after he was assaulted in Boyle Heights. Lopatinsky was walking through Hollenbeck Park when he was attacked. Preliminary records show he died from blunt head trauma, but coroner's officials have since determined that his death was the result of his falling and hitting his head. The death was deemed an accident.

John Bowles, a 50-year-old white man, died Tuesday, Aug. 9, three days after sustaining trauma in Palmdale. Bowles was taken to the hospital after falling from a car. It was initially believed that he may have been pushed out of the vehicle and sustained the fatal head trauma. The coroner's office said it was unable to determine how Bowles fell out of the car and his death was listed as undetermined.

Keith Davis, a 45-year-old white man, died Wednesday, Aug. 10, in Northridge. Davis got into an altercation with two people when he suddenly collapsed and later died. According to coroner's officials, Davis died from "excited delirium" that led to him going into cardiac arrest. Additionally, he was under methamphetamine intoxication. His death was ruled an accident.

Edward Forte, a 51-year-old white man, died Friday, Aug. 19, in Long Beach. Forte was found unresponsive at a board-and-care home and pronounced dead. According to the coroner's office, Forte's died of natural causes. He died from complications of a heart attack.

Yadira Ruiz, a 23-year-old Latina, was found dead Sunday, Aug. 28, in Mid-City. Ruiz was found unresponsive in her boyfriend's parents' house. There were no obvious signs of trauma to her body and the death may have been a suicide. The coroner's office said that it was still investigating the case and the cause of death is pending.

Karla Brada, a 31-year-old white woman, died Thursday, Sept. 1, in Santa Clarita. Brada's boyfriend said he found her unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. Coroner's officials later determined that Brada died from asphyxia and her death was deemed a homicide.

Amparo Villanueva, a 97-year-old woman, died Monday, Nov. 7, in Long Beach. Villanueva was found living in an unsanitary and filthy environment with her elderly husband. The two were under the care of their adult sons. It was reported that Villanueva had numerous bedsores on her body, although it’s unclear why she died. The coroner's office said the cause of death is pending.

-- Los Angeles Times