Issac Dubon was just beginning to establish his life as a young adult and new father in Los Angeles when his life was violently cut short. At only 18 years old, the Latino teenager was the father of an infant son, Isaiah, who was merely two months old at the time of the tragedy. To his grieving relatives, Issac was an only son whose sudden loss tore through the fabric of an entire close-knit family, leaving behind unanswerable questions and an overwhelming sense of heartbreak.
On Wednesday, November 7, 2018, tragedy struck along the 1000 block of North Serrano Avenue in East Hollywood. The neighborhood, tucked just south of Santa Monica Boulevard and framed by dense apartment buildings and older residential architecture, became the focal point of an urgent response. Authorities and emergency responders arrived at the scene, but Issac could not be saved and was pronounced dead that same day.
Official coroner records from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner classified Dubon's death as a homicide. The specific medical cause and manner of death were listed in public coroner records under the broad classification of other, and investigators chose not to publicly release further specifics about his physical trauma or the exact weapon used.
Homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's West Bureau took charge of the investigation. Detectives canvassed the residential corridor along North Serrano Avenue, seeking security camera footage, vehicle descriptions, or eyewitness statements from residents living in the multi-unit buildings nearby. Despite preliminary inquiries, authorities did not uncover any immediate leads regarding a motive, leaving open whether the teenager was targeted or caught in an unexpected confrontation.
The loss of Issac Dubon came during an agonizing stretch for communities across Los Angeles, particularly in working-class pockets of East Hollywood where young men repeatedly fell victim to neighborhood violence. In the days following his death, loved ones rallied to support his mother and provide care for his newborn child, turning to their faith and community solidarity in an effort to cope with an incomprehensible loss. Community chroniclers later included Issac among the dozens of young local lives taken prematurely by senseless violence in the district.
Years have passed since Issac Dubon died on that autumn morning, yet no suspect has ever been identified, publicly named, or taken into custody in connection with his killing. The case remains actively classified as an unsolved homicide by the LAPD West Bureau Homicide division. Investigators continue to urge anyone who was in the vicinity of the 1000 block of North Serrano Avenue on November 7, 2018, or who has information concerning what happened, to contact the Los Angeles Police Department or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
