Jonathan Val, 17

May 3, 2010, 11:29 a.m.

Jonathan Val, a 17-year-old Latino, was shot to death Wednesday, April 28, in the 300 block of North Avenue 57 in Highland Park, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

LAPD Northeast Det. Harold DiCroce, who is handling the investigation, said Val was standing on a sidewalk about 4:10 p.m. when a vehicle drove up and the passenger fired numerous rounds.

Val was struck twice, once in the chest and the back, before he fled on foot and eventually collapsed on the street, DiCroce said.

He was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5 p.m., according to coroner's records.

Investigators say the assailants were two male Latinos driving a silver Acura.

Anyone with information about the death of Jonathan Val is asked to contact LAPD Northeast Det. DiCroce or Det. Lisa Governo at (213) 847-4261. Police said tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers at (800) 222-8477.

-- Sarah Ardalani

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56 reader comments

Park life..........
We are 10 brothers and sisters and we were taken care of by my mom she woked 2 jobs and put us through school and some through collage, we had food,shoes, cloths a roof and a warm bed. we wore used cloths and shoes and never ate at school my mom made us breakfast lunch and dinner every day. We didn't have a father. We had a choice to go to school and work or to join a gang that would show us to steal,kill and to use drugs to cll them our family that they show you what they call love...... BS it bring death,jail it brings sadness to families. You parents are not the blame you are the one that makes that choice. Do something and change your life. My children are loved and had been educated they too could have taken a differnt road and they chose to live a good life and education. As for my mother she is 89 and I thank her for showing me to love and to be love. We love her. we thank her for making us good citizens.
I didn't need a father. we are all greatful that she show us love,respect and being a hard worker. It was up to us to make a choice of what we wanted for our self and our children

— Bebe May 6, 2011 at 10:15 a.m.

Amazing how we tend to make saints out of sinners. I too live in Hp. I am also sick and tired of the daily graffiti ridden walls that I have to drive through. HP, Ave's and DT want to take control of the streets of HP. Well there is a price to pay....have at it. Terrorize each other not the law abiding citizens. I am in Law Enforcement and fortunately for me I get to carry a firearm to fend for myself. I feel for the true victims at the hands of these thugs. I work in the hardest of hoods so believe me I know how these clowns think. Don't get me wrong, I really believe that everyone deserves a second chance. But until you make a complete change, you run a risk of being "caught trippin." They know this....casualties of turf war....

— hpcitizen March 16, 2011 at 3:51 p.m.

////DH and citizenjohn, I completely agree with you. The only people supporting this guy are other gang members. If this guy was a gang member he probably did the same thing to someone else and this is his punishment.\\\\\

I was born and raised in Highland Park. I am not a gang member. DH and citizenjohn, if you think I'm on "your side" (whatever that means) you're as crazy as you sound.
You don't have to be on "a side," to have empathy, to have a soul, to think of a 17 year old young man who is gone too soon with a heavy heart. It doesn't matter the circumstance, it is a sad thing.
Because of growing up in HP, I was inspired to actually DO SOMETHING to help out my community (oh, and writing speeches behind the comforts of a computer screen doesn't count, ok guys?). I became a therapist and now work with young adults who are on probation or are ex-foster youth.
Instead of wasting space on this young man's obituary page saying such disrespectful things, why don't you start up your own crappy blog and drum up your own traffic instead of forcing us to read all this "stuff" you feel is relevant.
To the Val family and to his friends - I'm sorry for your loss, I'm sure you still miss him even now. It sounds like he was trying to something better by working - who knows what was in store for him. Hopefully his friends will create a better legacy and prove these jokers wrong.
Descanse en Paz.

— Born & Raised March 11, 2011 at 2:53 a.m.

The "kid" knew what the end result would be for joining a gang. Don't give them excuses, he chose the path and it led him to his death. And, no I don't care to talk to gagnsters and hear how bad they had it and how they needed to turn to violence and intimidation to make themselves feel better or feel part of a family, PLEASE... I'm sure there were plenty of people he victimized before his death because that's what gangsters do...victimize and control neighborhoods for self gratification and power. I don't feel for them one bit, I feel for the parents who hopefully tried to provide a good example. Gang members are as low life as you can get. I don't wish death on anyone, but rather they kill themselves than an innocent kid playing in the front yard.

— L.R. March 4, 2011 at 8:14 a.m.

— Citizenjohn, I would add the following: Early preventive detention for those youngsters that are gangsters in all but name only and keep them in a juvenile camp for as long as necessary. Immediate deportation of any gangster if they are illegal, with exceptionally harsh punishment if they reenter the country.

Cut down the numbers of illegals so the urban overcrowding and school system deteriation is stopped.

No more "free trade" so as to make sure we all have jobs that pay a decent wage.

Change the makeups of the city councils, county supervisors and gerrymandered state districts so we have reprentatives who can get things done instead of blame-blame-blame.

I can go on with many others. But the sad truth is many different aspects of this problem has to be addressed simultaneously.

— syscom3 June 15, 2010 at 3:22 p.m.

If this young man truly was in the highland park gang, then he made his bed and now he can sleep in it. Don't for one second think a 17 year old gang member can't hurt and even kill. I agree with Fed Up, some of us in society have had enough of this crap. What can be done? Well for starters, its time to identify and publish who these knuckle heads are. Where are the gangs exactly and who specifically is each known member. Then run em the hell off. Don't rent to them. If you're a parent, throw them out on their asses until they learn to grow up. Simply put, we as a society need to go zero tolerance on their very existence and shun them like the scourge they are. The problem of course is too many of us actually think this macho gang banging crap is kind of cool, kind of tough. You enable them and even encourage them which is foolishness.

— Citizenjohn June 15, 2010 at 2:11 p.m.

R.I.P. Jonathan-I did not know him or his family, I just think that at such a young age his family should not have to say goodbye. I realize that many of us including myself,feel like oh well if they are gang members then it's okay for them to be shot down and killed. The reality is this: If we have no concern for the "gang member" who is killed then we are all in danger of this death too. If we don't find a solution to this violence that comes from the gang lifestyle soon it will take one of our innocent loved ones, they are getting stronger and they are taking over our communities. Places where people wanted to live to escape the crime and the gangs have now got the gangs in there communities ( Lancaster, Torrance, Redondo Beach..etc) There is nowhere to hide- This has got to stop- It may seem like it is only in the low income high crime areas but trust me they are in every city and they can and will get to you. We need a solution to stop this now!!

— Wizzard June 15, 2010 at 7:09 a.m.

oh please.... im not here to be self rightous, but at the same time im not out in the world to hurt others, that i know for sure regardless to what you may think, i also dont go destroying peoples property or out to put people in danger with the stupidness that comes along with being a criminal gang member, i dont go around dogging people out and i dont carry a gun, and i also dont feel the need to stoop to their level and go out and kill, thats not what i teach my kids either, but rather to beware of them, they bring down the value of life, because they dont give a crap about who they hurt, be it there family whether or not they grew up in the gang life....yada yada yada same @$$ excuses "well this is all i know" and thats exactly what it is "excuses" i've been to the bottom but willed myself back up, i come from just about nothing aswell, so there for i am not holier than thou, where in your right mind do you see it okay, when innocent children are killed by a stray bullet or even intended for them because their mom are dad are rivals, sounds like you have much love for them, well then continue it but you aint helping any cause.

— DH May 21, 2010 at 11:55 a.m.

Please dont make excuses for these thug cowards, and i dont want to sit with them and learn of their life, i've had a hard life myself and a family in gangs, never did i resort to following their path, they know exactly what they're getting themselves into, they want to intimadate and be feared, well then they get what they deserve, i've lost family from gang violence, it'll never make sense, we are the ones that end up hurting while they lay dead, or either they're out there killing or being plain stupid, do you think they think of the innocent people or kids they slay in a drive by or tagging up your property walls, i highly doubt that, they are scum of the earth, they're fighting for turf that doesnt even belong to them, all im saying is i dont weep for them, to many innocent people are taken by these low lifes, so say what you will, i hope your family never has to deal with the pain of losing someone at their hands and yet given short sentences or never even caught, so the murders continue.

— D.H May 20, 2010 at 11:40 a.m.