$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.