On the warm Tuesday evening of June 23, 2015, Oscar Lazo was spending time near his neighborhood in the densely populated Westlake community of Los Angeles. The twenty-three-year-old Hispanic young man lived locally with his family and was a familiar presence in the surrounding area. As night fell, Lazo visited a neighborhood liquor store near the intersection of Beverly Boulevard and North Union Avenue, stepping in and out of the business multiple times in the moments leading up to the confrontation. Outside on the pavement, the city streets were bustling with evening pedestrian traffic.
Shortly after ten o'clock at night, the routine evening turned deadly. Around 10:04 p.m., three Hispanic men walked up to Lazo just outside the business and launched a sudden, aggressive assault. Realizing he was outnumbered, Lazo desperately tried to run away from his attackers, fleeing north along Union Avenue. His assailants pursued him on foot across the pavement for about a block until reaching the intersection with Rockwood Street. Trapped and unable to escape, Lazo was overtaken and forced into a violent struggle.
The entire pursuit and assault unfolded in approximately three minutes. During the physical fight, the assailants beat Lazo and stabbed him with an unknown weapon. Despite the commotion and bystanders present in the immediate vicinity, the attackers focused entirely on Lazo, ignoring everyone else. Lazo sustained catastrophic injuries and collapsed onto the ground near the corner of Union Avenue and Rockwood Street. Once their victim fell unresponsive, the three suspects quickly turned and fled the scene on foot, disappearing into the surrounding neighborhood streets.
Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to emergency calls reporting the fight and severe injuries. Upon reaching the intersection, emergency medical personnel evaluated Lazo, but his stab wounds and injuries were too severe for life-saving interventions. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner documented the death as a homicide, listing the manner as a fatal physical assault involving stabbing and blunt force trauma.
Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Homicide Division took charge of the investigation. Lead investigators pointed out that the targeted nature of the attack strongly suggested personal animus rather than random violence. Even with bystanders all around, the assailants focused their aggression exclusively on Lazo. Detectives collected nearby surveillance footage that documented portions of the encounter, hoping the recorded movements would help identify the suspects.
In April 2016, with the investigation stalling and leads drying up, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, apprehension, and conviction of those responsible. LAPD Rampart detectives held a formal press conference alongside Lazo's grieving mother and released portions of the surveillance video to the public, pleading for witnesses to come forward. Despite the monetary incentive and the public appeals, no suspects have been arrested or charged in the killing. The case remains open and unsolved.
