Humberto Pichardo, 42 [Updated]

Humberto Pichardo, a 42-year-old Latino, died Friday, Jan. 22, more than three years after he suffered a blunt-force injury, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.

Craig Harvey, the chief coroner's investigator, said Pichardo suffered a blow to the head sometime in 2006 and has been living in and out of assisted-care facilities since the incident. Investigators do not know where his injury originally happened, or what caused it.

Harvey said coroner's investigators are considering the case a homicide because of the nature of his injury, but that determination is subject to change as new information about the case becomes available.

[Updated Feb. 28, 2011: Coroner's officials said Pichardo's death has been ruled a homicide. He had infected ulcers and died as a result of neglect, they said.]

-- Anthony Pesce and Sarah Ardalani