Ricardo Balderrama, 18

Ricardo Balderrama, an 18-year-old Latino man, was hit on the head with a two-by-four in the 12200 block of Oxford Avenue in Hawthorne, and died at 12:05 a.m. Thursday, July 26.

A resident coming home through the alley found him at about 11:48 p.m., lying near the garage, bludgeoned and left for dead, said Lt. Gil Carrillo of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau. Perhaps he had been chased there. Earlier, people had heard dogs barking.

He was studying to get his GED, said Sheriff's Det. Mitch Loman. He didn't belong to the local gang, but was from the neighborhood, and in the past, had been menaced, picked on and burglarized by local gang members.

Anyone with information is asked to call Loman or Det. Steve Rubino at (323) 890-5500.