Hector Barraza, 20 [Updated]

Sept. 1, 2010, 5:53 p.m.

Hector Barraza, a 20-year-old Latino, was found shot to death Friday, Aug. 27, in the 100 block of South Alameda Street in Compton, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Barraza's body was discovered on the street by authorities at 7:09 p.m., said Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sheriff homicide Det. Rich Ramirez, who is handling the investigation, said deputies discovered Barraza after getting a call reporting shots fired.

Investigators do not have a description of the possible assailant. The incident is believed to be gang-related, Ramirez said.

Anyone with information about Barraza's death is asked to contact Det. Ramirez at (323) 890-5500.

[Update Feb. 4: With help from the public, authorities were able to arrest a 17-year-old Latino last month in connection with Barraza's death. Since he is a juvenile, his name cannot be released, officials said.

Det. Ramirez said the alleged assailant has been charged with murder.

When asked why Barraza was shot, Ramirez cited a gang rivalry between the victim and the 17-year-old.]

-- Sarah Ardalani

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23 reader comments

I am one of Hectors childhood friends and is still like a brother to me and my younger sibling. We grew up together with him, the rest of his family, and his close friends. He was quite the funny guy and always cheered people around him. And with all do respect to the commenter who posted on "people not wanting to change", the issues in low income communities are quite complicated. People of color deal with insersectionality, meaning, racism, sexism, lack of relative material resources, and this is just the major obstacles at the core of not just my friend Hector's walk of life but also the manny underrepresented communities across our "Great" Nation. The issues that are easily swept under the rug and called "unwillingness to change", "laziness", the list goes on. The tragedy of my friend becomes one more untold story within our streets, our neighborhoods, our barrios. The story like that of Hector ends up within the shadows of the injustices that the dominant elite class title "dangerous city", "dangerous people", a "dangerous caste of people". The lost of Hector is not the fault to gangs or the lack of the police department not doing anything, it is instead the fault of a structurally violent system that sets up individuals like my friend Hector to fail. The critique ends here. I will miss you very much Hector as will everyone especially your mother. No one ever really knows what another person goes through because not everyones reality is anothers. Rest In Peace. You will not be forgotten.

Best your childhood friend,
El Gordo

— Alberto Martinez Dec. 17, 2010 at 11:29 p.m.

The Homicide Report

Hector Barraza, 20 [Updated]

Share a memory or thought about Hector Manuel Barraza

23 reader comments