On February 9, 2021, Cesar Mazariegos, a 30-year-old Latino male, was found dead near Del Amo Boulevard and Santa Fe Road in Rancho Dominguez, California. His body was discovered rolled up inside a large carpet, showing signs of both stabbing and blunt force trauma. Authorities declared him dead at the scene. The location of the discovery was near a homeless encampment along the Compton Creek bed, an area that had recently seen increased patrols due to a string of violent incidents.
Cesar Mazariegos was one of three victims found murdered in the same vicinity over an eight-month span. The other victims included Patricia Loeza, a 26-year-old Latina female, and Kenneth Jones, a 26-year-old Latino male. All three individuals were believed to have been living in or near homeless encampments at the time of their deaths. Each victim suffered multiple stab wounds, and in the case of Kenneth Jones, additional blunt force trauma to the head.
Following an intensive investigation, authorities arrested Tracy Walker, a 56-year-old male, on February 11, 2021. He was found at a nearby homeless encampment and charged with three counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. During interviews with homicide detectives, Walker reportedly implicated himself in all three killings. Prosecutors later revealed that Walker had a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter dating back to 1993.
On October 18, 2021, Tracy Walker was sentenced to 110 years to life in state prison after pleading guilty to the murders of Cesar Mazariegos, Patricia Loeza, and Kenneth Jones. The sentencing marked the conclusion of a case that had deeply unsettled the Rancho Dominguez community, particularly those living in vulnerable conditions near the Compton Creek bed.
