Los Angeles, Ca
$50,000 reward offered in 2019 Koreatown killing; family still seeks answers 7 years later
Juan Cuevas, 26, was shot and killed near Beverly Boulevard and St. Andrews Place in Koreatown in January 2019. Seven years later, his parents, Cesar and Patricia Cuevas, returned to the neighborhood this weekend to hang flyers, hoping someone will provide information about the unsolved killing.
In March, the Los Angeles Police Department announced a $50,000 reward for details leading to the suspect’s identity, arrest and conviction.
The killing remains unsolved and the suspect has not been identified. Juan was the oldest of four children and the only son in his family. He also worked for the family’s plumbing business with his father, Cesar.
“He was my partner,” Cesar said. “He used to work with me all the time.”
Surveillance video obtained by the Los Angeles Police Department captured the moments before and after the shooting. Investigators reported that a dark-colored Honda Accord pulled up just after 10:20 p.m. the night of the incident. A passenger then exited the vehicle, approached Juan and opened fire. Another camera recorded Juan running into a nearby liquor store in search of help. He collapsed inside and was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
The family said that it continues to experience profound grief over Juan’s death. The family has set up a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising awareness of the case.
“We are dying together,” Cesar said. “The time is coming and going and we are dying together.”
Juan’s mother said that her son’s death is an ongoing struggle.
“So far we haven’t had any answers,” Patricia said. “Seven years. It hasn’t been easy for our house, our family, living with this in our hearts, knowing that person is around.”
The family noted that multiple detectives have been assigned to the case over the years, but they feel they have received limited information about the investigation.
“It was my only son,” Cesar said. “I got three daughters. It was my first son and we haven’t heard anything from the police.”
The family said that investigators seem overwhelmed handling the case.
“All they say is, ‘We have so many cases we have to work on,’” Cesar said. “‘Yours is on our list, but we have a lot to work on,’ and that’s their answer.”
In their search for answers, the Cuevas family reached out to people who knew Juan, but they said no one has been willing to talk.
“Nobody has said anything,” he added. “Too many people say ‘I know your son’ and nobody wants to say anything.”
The family hopes the recently announced $50,000 reward will bring renewed attention to the case. Watch the full report from KTLA’s Jillian Smukler in the video at the top of this story.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTLA. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTLA staff before being published.
Los Angeles, Ca
Rare, corpse flower double bloom underway at Huntington Library
Two rare corpse flowers have begun to bloom simultaneously at the Huntington Library in San Marino, the nonprofit organization announced Sunday evening.
Odorysseus, the taller of the two flowers, bloomed first. A second, smaller corpse flower named Odora appears to be following close behind.
The Huntington Library is inviting visitors to take in the flowers’ unique aroma, which is often compared to rotting flesh.
“And so it begins,” the Huntington Library wrote on social media.
Odora is shaped a bit differently than Odorysseus because its spadix is inverted due to a developmental irregularity. This is not expected to affect the blooming of the flower.
“Plot twist!” the Huntington Library wrote on Instagram. “Odora wants to steal the spotlight. Odora’s spathe has started opening, too. Tiny but mighty, we’re in for quite the show with a double bloom.”
The Huntington is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, and is closed on Tuesdays. Reservations are required Friday through Sunday, on holidays, and during peak seasons. “Twilight stroll” hours are available on the Huntington’s website.
The public can also watch a live stream of the bloom on the organization’s YouTube channel.
Los Angeles, Ca
Rosemead High School student identified as teen stabbed to death in El Monte
Family members have identified 15-year-old Rosemead High School student Aziel Zacapala as the boy killed in a stabbing outside an elementary school in El Monte on July 10.
A candlelight vigil was held for Zacapala at the Rosemead skate park at 6 p.m. Saturday. The original location of the vigil was moved from 9700 Fern Street in El Monte, where the stabbing happened, as homicide detectives continue to investigate the scene.
Zacapala was one of three people stabbed during a fight that broke out on Fern Street around 1 p.m., according to information released by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the El Monte Police Department. Authorities were called to a local emergency room that afternoon, where two adults and Zacapala were being treated for stab wounds.
Zacapala was pronounced dead at the hospital. The adult victims are in stable condition and expected to survive, authorities said.
A GoFundMe page created to help Zacapala’s family pay for funeral expenses described the slain teen as a “beloved nephew, friend, son and high school football player” … “whose life was tragically cut short.”
“Aziel was a good kid, full of promise and kindness, and he had big dreams of making it to the big leagues as a football player,” the GoFundMe page reads. “His absence leaves a deep void in our family and community.”
Zacapala, known as “AZ” by fellow Rosemead High School students, was playing football with friends at Rosemead Park’s Fourth of July event days before the suspected attack, his family said. Now his loved ones are asking for community support as they mourn his death.
“His mother, who is currently unemployed and raising two other young children — including a newborn — has been doing Instacart orders just to stay afloat,” the GoFundMe reads. “Now, she faces the overwhelming daily hardships of supporting her family during this devastating time.”
As of Saturday night, the GoFundMe has raised $16,000 of its $24,000 goal.
No suspects were found at the scene of the stabbing and no arrests have been made in the case, authorities said.
“Investigators are still working to determine whether more than one suspect was involved,” LASD deputies said Saturday morning. “Currently, there is no suspect description available.”
Anyone with information about the stabbings is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
Los Angeles, Ca
19-year-old arrested, accused of distributing marijuana to minors across Riverside County
A 19-year-old suspect was arrested for the alleged distribution of marijuana to juveniles across Riverside County. Authorities identified the man as Manuel Guerra Meza, 19, of Coachella. On May 15, deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station began investigating reports of a suspect who had been selling a variety of illicit substances to juveniles throughout the […]
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