Fredrick Ford, 51

Fredrick Ford, a 51-year-old black man, was fatally stabbed Friday, June 30, in the 1200 block of East Harvard Street in Glendale, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Glendale police responded about 6 p.m. to a call about an unresponsive man in the driveway of an apartment complex, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William. Once there, police found Ford suffering from multiple stab wounds, William said.

Ford was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:33 p.m., according to coroner’s records. Neighbors said he lived nearby and described him as a nice man who never caused trouble. 

On the night of Ford’s death, detectives found a security camera that showed a man leaving the scene around the time of the stabbing. 

“Officers and detectives immediately recognized and identified the individual as Ernest Culbertson, a known documented gang member, who they have had numerous contacts and arrests with,” William said in a statement.

Officers arrested Culbertson, 31, of Tujunga, the next day. Police found items that linked him to the killing, and Culbertson confessed to the stabbing, William said, adding that the two men knew each other.

While in custody on July 5, Culbertson was found dead in his cell around 5:30 p.m., sheriff’s deputies said. 

According to Det. Philip Guzman with the sheriff’s department’s homicide unit, Culbertson was in a high-observation mental-health housing unit at the jail because he was a suicide risk.

Guzman said Culbertson was able to craft a ligature and used it to hang himself in his single-person cell.

William said Culbertson’s suicide will not change the Glendale investigation of the stabbing.

“We still have to finish our investigation,” he said. “Our detectives will likely continue on to file the case with the [Los Angeles County] district attorney’s office for the sake of closing it out, but there won’t be a trial.”

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.