L.A. County homicide numbers in 2015 on pace with 2014

With the city experiencing its first crime surge in more than a decade, homicides countywide are on pace with last year, according to recent data from the coroner's office.

The difference is fairly small. In a county of 10 million people, homicides are up by one person compared with the same period last year: from 284 in the first six months of 2014 to 285 this year. As in previous years, the victims overwhelmingly are men, and they overwhelmingly were shot to death.

The deadliest day so far this year was Jan. 29. On that day, Terry Carter, 55, was hit by a red truck; former rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight has been charged with his murder. Although Carter's death may be the most well-known, five others were killed that day, including 15-year-old Kalease Harris, who was shot while walking down the street in Green Meadows, and 66-year-old Milton Jones, who was beaten to death with a baseball bat, allegedly by his son.

The homicides have a lasting effect on the victims' families.

On Thursday, Evelyn Hurtado Rivera took to the Homicide Report to write about her nephew, Esteban Garcia, 15, who was shot to death in November 2007.

"8 years has passed by & it still seems like you left us just yesterday. Only if God knew how much we miss you...," she commented.

2014 AND 2015 NUMBERS

285: Los Angeles County homicides through June 30

284: People who were killed through June 30, 2014

17: Officer-involved deaths through June 30

18: Officer-involved deaths through June 30, 2014

The first person killed in an officer-involved shooting this year was Brian Barbosa, 23, who was shot by South Gate police officers on Jan. 11. Police said Barbosa was trying to carjack a driver at a Jack in the Box restaurant.

BY GENDER

246 men

39 women

CAUSE

70% of victims were shot to death

13% of victims were stabbed to death

7% of victims who were killed by blunt force

The remaining 10% of victims are classified as "other" or a cause of death has yet to be determined by the coroner's office. The homicides classified as other include the killing of 75-year-old Robert Hollis, who was found decapitated June 18 in his Inglewood apartment.

BY RACE

43.1% of victims were Latino

38.2% of victims were black

11.5% of victims were white

3.9% of victims were Asian

BY AGE

16: Victims under 18

The youngest victim was Joshua Rieux, a 2-month-old boy who was found dead with his mother, Jacqueline Montoya, 25, in Westmont in June. The woman's husband has been charged with two counts of capital murder.

13: Victims 65 and older

The oldest victim was Annie Margaret Bell, 86, who was stabbed to death June 18 during a burglary in Lancaster. Bell was an avid volunteer and had recently been honored by county supervisors for her service. Tony Donnell Brown, 14, has been charged as an adult with one count of murder and two counts of burglary in the death.

19: Most common age

Bryan Hernandez was biking home from work June 30 when he was shot in Commerce. Hernandez became the 14th 19-year-old to be killed this year.

— Nicole Santa Cruz and Armand Emamdjomeh