Michael Daniel, 60

Michael Daniel, a 60-year-old black man, died Sunday, Jan. 29, after he suffered blunt head trauma near West Pico and South Sepulveda boulevards in the Sawtelle area, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

On Jan. 27 at about 2:20 p.m., Daniel was outside the county building in the area when a mobile phone vendor approached two women he was with about a phone, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Herman Frettlohr.

Daniel became upset that the phone vendor was talking to the women and got into an argument with the man. The argument escalated and Daniel threatened to shoot the phone vendor, witnesses told police.

As Daniel was walking to his vehicle, the phone vendor chased after him and the fight turned physical, Frettlohr said.

At some point during the fight, Daniel fell and hit his head, police said. Daniel was taken to a hospital, where he remained until he was pronounced dead on Jan. 29 at  6:18 p.m.

The coroner’s office ruled the incident a homicide.

On Feb. 10, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office declined to file charges against the 39-year-old phone vendor, stating a lack of evidence, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the office, in an e-mail. There was also a lack of proof regarding Daniel's cause of death, and evidence that the phone vendor was acting in self-defense, Santiago said.

Anyone with information is asked to call LAPD detectives at (213) 382-9470. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

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