Marcos Sandoval, a 52-year-old Hispanic man, was a painter and a devoted father who was known in his Mid-City Los Angeles neighborhood for his daily walks with his dog. His family described him as a hardworking, friendly man with no enemies, a good person who always put his two daughters first. His life was senselessly cut short in what police believe was a random act of violence.
In the early morning of March 12, 2022, Sandoval was walking his dog, Little Torro, near the intersection of Genesee Avenue and Saturn Street. Around 5 a.m., a dark-colored sedan pulled up beside him. Surveillance footage showed the driver getting out of the car and exchanging words with Sandoval. A neighbor was awoken by what sounded like two men arguing. Shortly after, multiple gunshots rang out.
The shooter got back into his car and fled north on Genesee Avenue.
After the first shot, Sandoval’s dog ran from the scene and went straight home, barking at a window to alert the family that something was wrong. About an hour after the shooting, at 6:15 a.m., a passerby discovered Sandoval on the sidewalk and called 911. Paramedics arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives launched an investigation, believing the attack was unprovoked. They identified a suspect, 21-year-old Cliffton Kamal Styles of San Marcos, Texas. Investigators learned that Styles had been on a cross-country road trip, traveling from Florida before arriving in Los Angeles. After the shooting, he reportedly went to San Diego before returning to Texas. Police stated that Styles may have been suffering from mental illness and could have been involved in other acts of predatory violence during his travels.
On April 27, 2022, Styles was arrested at his home in San Marcos by local police in coordination with the LAPD and the FBI Fugitive Task Force. He was charged with the murder of Marcos Sandoval. On August 3, 2022, Styles was extradited to California and appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He was ordered to be held in lieu of $2.05 million bail. As of August 2022, the case was proceeding through the court system.
