Ricardo Merlo Contreras, 45

July 18, 2009, 4:20 p.m.

Ricardo Contreras, a 45-year-old Latino, was stabbed several times and died July 18. The stabbing happened in the 8900 block of Kittyhawk Avenue in Westchester, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Paramedics pronounced Contreras dead at the abandoned home in which he was discovered, authorities said.

Details about how the body was discovered were not immediately available. Police would not confirm a published report that said a real estate agent showing the house to a buyer discovered the body.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is bank-owned and listed for sale by Modern Realty Co., which specializes in foreclosures and bank-owned properties throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to its website. A company representative could not be reached for comment.

-- Ruben Vives

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Four reader comments

First why did Rosalba when to see Mr. Partida that day? Mr. Partida had call her than he wanted to see her and talk about some more potential business. Mr. Partida only family was Rosalba, he couldn't count with his sons as they would rob him or only talk to him when they needed money. How sad is that? Not to visit your own father and mother and just call them when ever you needed money. That's how it's some times when you have a lot of money they only talk to you to used you even your own family.

Now back to the story: Rosalba, was attack by the Mr. Partida while she was pregnant. Mr. Partida was in love with her so when Rosalba told him that she was no longer going to work for him he got furious and attack her. Mr. Partida attack her with a hammer hitting her stomach while she was pregnant. What would you do in her place? If your pregnant and are attack with a hammer and there trying to kill you and your baby inside? Well she fought back for her life and for her baby inside. Rosalba was able to walk away told Mr. Partida that she was calling the police and left to the nearest gas station. While she was at the gas station Mr. Partida panic and didn't wanted to go to Jail, he started the fire whick kill him because of the smoke. Rosalba had NO chemicals in her clothes that had smoke at all or anything containing with starting a fire. When you burn something your clothes acts like a sponge and collect the odor. Mrs. Partida didn't died she died months after and had nothing to do with Rosalba but they also put her death to Rosalba. They were old already that's why she died of old age. Now when Rosalba call the police of what had happened she fainted at the gas station because of all the hits she had also received.

Rosalba told police to interview Mrs. Partida that she knew what had happened? did they ever interview her? How can some one be sent to jail for defending there own life and the one inside. One of the reasons is money, money talks. As the son's from Mr. Partida would only be able to collect life insurance if his father and mother were murdered. If you kill your self you don't collect life insurance. So as greedy as they are they paid the lawyers from the money they were going to get from the life insurance from both parents. So they had to put all the blame at Rosalba and framing her as the killer. How sad but this is how it really when to collect life insurance money. Which was in the millions as the family own many real state property's also.

— Rosa Contreras Aug. 19, 2010 at 6:05 p.m.

Here's a link which goes into some background on Ricardo Contreras.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_12879838

Ricardo was a real estate agent found dead in an abandoned house. His sister was "a woman who killed a San Pedro couple she victimized in a real estate fraud case that bilked them of $2 million." back in 1998. Ricardo wasn't charged in the double murder "but was accused in a wrongful death lawsuit of notarizing many of the fraudulent documents that she used in the scheme."

Whether or not the San Pedro double murder/fraud case has any connection with Ricardo's murder is unknown. Although it certainly paints an interesting picture of Ricardo Contreras. But if revenge was a motive in Ricardo's death, why would someone wait this long to carry it out? Could there be some message to him being left dead in a foreclosed house? Of course he could have just been showing a house in Westchester and been attacked. Don't have any answers yet as the mystery surrounding his murder continues.

RIP

— JB Feb. 20, 2010 at 11:19 p.m.