Mystery surrounds shooting of 22-year-old Carson man

About 9:45 p.m. Sept. 9, Joseph “Joey” Galvan left church, went home to change, then walked to a bus stop with a friend.

The friend went on to a convenience store, but Galvan stayed. He was due at work for the night shift at a warehouse in Compton.

At the bus stop, a man approached Galvan, and there was a brief struggle. The assailant pulled out a gun and shot Galvan, 22, in the head. He was just two blocks from his home. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said it’s unknown why Galvan was shot.

On a recent weekend, people from his church and other houses of worship around Los Angeles County walked the streets of Carson to bring attention to Galvan’s death.

The group marched with “Stop the violence” posters and photographs of Galvan. During the walk, one woman pointed out the blue bus bench where Galvan was shot. People passed out light-blue buttons bearing a photo of Galvan as a child.  

“He had a great big smile and a laugh that was so loud and infectious and silly,” said his mother, Malinda Galvan.

As kids, Joseph Galvan and his sister, Anna, would help their parents with a homeless ministry, and Malinda Galvan remembered her son’s generosity. 

When his mother got a call from authorities, she thought her son had crashed a bike or gotten into a fender-bender. They said he had been shot. Later, a doctor would tell her there was no hope, and her son would be pronounced dead the next evening at 11 p.m. 

“I kind of grew up knowing this kind of stuff happened. I just never thought we would be the ones this happened to,” she said while walking in the march. She paused. “But here we are.

“Somebody may have a piece of information that might help find the person,” she said. “And Joey deserves that.”

Galvan lived at a Carson home operated by Victory Outreach Carson, a Christian church. In recent months, he seemed more upbeat and was committed to his job at the warehouse. 

Hector Cruz, the pastor at Galvan’s church, called Galvan his “spiritual son.” Cruz got the first call from authorities about 1:30 a.m. the night of the shooting. 

“It just put me in a shock,” he said. “To me, it’s senseless.”

Cruz said Galvan shouldn’t have been a target. He wasn’t very tall and had a slender frame — the opposite of intimidating.

“You don’t look the part. You don’t speak the part. You don’t walk the part,” Cruz said.

Thomas Perry, 18, met Galvan through the church about five years ago, and the two quickly became close. Their music tastes varied — Galvan liked country music and Perry liked rock — but they frequently had deep conversations.

Perry said that Galvan wanted to join the military. “He liked the discipline,” he said.

Jarad Hardesty, who works at the church, said one day he walked into Galvan’s bedroom and found him dancing in the mirror, a perfect example of his personality, he said.

“That was Joseph,” he said, “always dancing.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. 

 Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @nicolesantacruz and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.

Photo: Anna, left, Edward and Malinda Galvan at a peace march for Joseph Galvan, who was shot Sept. 9. Credit: Nicole Santa Cruz / Los Angeles Times