Raul Vargas Castro, a 52-year-old Latino man, was found dead on January 3, 2019, in South Gate, California. His body was discovered next to the Los Angeles River, just north of the intersection of Tweedy Boulevard and Burtis Road. The discovery was made by a construction worker who noticed a body face down in the river. Initially, it appeared that the body had been anchored to the site, but investigators later determined that it had caught on some debris in the river.
Castro was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:30 a.m., and the cause of death was listed as multiple gunshot wounds.
The case was handed over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, which investigates homicides in South Gate. Investigators believed that Castro was shot somewhere north of where his body was found, possibly in Bell Gardens. Castro was homeless and had been living on the streets of Bell Gardens, where he reportedly got into a disagreement with other people in the area. Investigators were trying to determine whether this disagreement was related to the shooting. It was unclear when exactly he was shot, but it did not seem that he had been in the river for long.
As of the latest available information, there have been no arrests or suspects publicly identified in connection with Raul Vargas Castro's death. The investigation remains open, and authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau continues to seek leads and has encouraged the public to provide any relevant details that might help solve the case. Despite the efforts of law enforcement, the circumstances surrounding Castro's death remain a mystery, and his case is one of many unsolved homicides in the area.
