Monte Scott Raffaele, 53

Monte Scott Raffaele, a 53-year-old white man, was stabbed to death Saturday, July 4, at the corner of North Figueroa and La Loma Road in Eagle Rock, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

The incident began about 8:30 p.m. when Raffaele and his adult son were walking in the neighborhood “making a lot of noise,” and a resident yelled at them to quiet down, said LAPD Det. Harold DiCroce. 

Either Raffaele or his son allegedly responded by saying something like, “What are you going to do about it,?” DiCroce said. Within a few minutes, he said, the resident and his father were in the street confronting Raffaele and his son. 

The four men began fighting, and either Raffaele or his son allegedly sprayed the younger resident with pepper spray, DiCroce said. Raffaele and his son then ran away, with the younger resident in pursuit, the detective said.

About three blocks later, the men fought again, and this time, Raffaele was stabbed multiple times, apparently while trying to shield his son, DiCroce said. 

Raffaele and his son were taken to the hospital for treatment. Raffaele was pronounced dead at 9:44 p.m., according to coroner’s records. DiCroce said Raffaele's son was treated for a brain bleed at the hospital and later released.

“This never should have happened,” DiCroce said. “Everybody comes to a point where they have a choice to make, to fight or just walk away, because it’s not worth it.  If they [the residents] had just called 911, we could have handled it, but that didn’t happen and somebody died. It’s very unfortunate.”

Raffaele and his son have family in the Eagle Rock area, DiCroce said, but were homeless at the time of the fight. Raffaele’s son is staying with family members now, the detective said, but his recovery has been slowed by a previous brain injury.  

Raffaele’s son was missing a portion of his skull after he was hit by a car while riding a bicycle, DiCroce said. The son should have been wearing a protective helmet, but he wasn’t.

Family members told investigators that the son had slurred speech from the accident before the fight and hasn’t spoken since, DiCroce said.

Investigators detained Kenneth Daniel Brice, a 25-year-old white man, and his father, Kenneth Thomas Brice, a 51-year-old white man, DiCroce said. The elder Brice was released after three days, but the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed a murder charge against the younger man, who is being held in lieu of $1-million bail, spokesman Greg Risling said.

Kenneth Daniel Brice is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 27, Risling said.  However, he has a "further proceedings" hearing on Aug. 11 in Department 30 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.  

— Jeanette Marantos