Gorky Lopatinsky Sr., 81 [Updated]

Gorky Lopatinsky Sr., an 81-year-old white man, died Tuesday, Aug. 2, a day after he was assaulted in the 400 block of South St. Louis Street in Boyle Heights, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office, said Lopatinsky was walking through Hollenbeck Park on Aug. 1 about 7:15 a.m., when he was attacked.

A passerby found the victim and alerted authorities. Lopatinsky was taken to a hospital, where he died the next day at 5:10 p.m.

Coroner's records show he suffered head trauma.

Winter said a cause of death has been deferred pending additional lab tests. Results will not be available for at least six to eight weeks.

Anyone with information about Lopatinsky's death is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

[Update Jan. 12, 2012: 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.]

-- Los Angeles Times