On January 13, 2008, at approximately 6:55 a.m., the body of 35-year-old Rosa Elida Garcia was found in an alley behind the 1500 block of West Florence Avenue in South Los Angeles. Although there were no visible blunt-force injuries, investigators determined she had been strangled; her body was discovered seminude and barefoot near trash, her small black purse still slung over her shoulder. Police said Garcia had been dragged several feet and her black wedge sandals were found where the drag marks began.
Rosa Garcia was described in reporting as a familiar presence in the neighborhood who sometimes worked as a B-girl at after-hours "casita" clubs on and near Florence Avenue. Local detectives and a multi-agency vice task force that had been investigating casitas intensified attention to those establishments after her death. Reporters and investigators noted Garcia had limited identification and that her life was tied to the informal nightlife scene in the area; a tape measure was reported near her body.
The Los Angeles Police Department and City officials sought the public's help in solving Garcia's killing. The City Council authorized a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of those responsible. LAPD homicide detectives assigned to the case appealed for tips and community assistance in the weeks and months after the slaying, and the homicide remained an active investigative matter tied to concerns about casitas and related criminal activity in the neighborhood.
As of the records reviewed, the homicide of Rosa Elida Garcia remains unsolved with no public report of an arrest or charge. Anyone with information was asked to contact LAPD homicide detectives handling the case; tips were requested through the numbers provided by LAPD and the City reward notice.
