Francisco Ruiz Morones was 60 years old when he died on Monday, January 28, 2019, four days after he was found unconscious on a sidewalk on Lancaster Avenue in Boyle Heights. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of blunt force trauma to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide. The case was assigned to the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollenbeck Division.
According to the Los Angeles Times Homicide Report, Francisco was found lying unconscious on the sidewalk at about 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 24, 2019. He was taken to a hospital, where he died four days later. At first, Detective Jose Ramirez told the Times, it was not clear whether foul play was involved. A man found collapsed on a sidewalk could have suffered a stroke, a heart attack or an overdose. But an autopsy and toxicology tests showed that he had not suffered a medical emergency. He had suffered blunt force trauma to his head, and his death became a homicide investigation. Detectives declined to say what they believed had happened to him, citing the ongoing investigation.
That delay matters. By the time investigators knew they were dealing with a homicide, days had passed since he was found. The spot where he lay may not have been treated as a crime scene, and nearby surveillance video, which many businesses record over after a few days, may already have been lost. Witnesses who saw a fight or an argument may not have realized that it was connected to a death.
He was a Latino man of 60. Beyond his name, his age and the circumstances in which he was found, almost nothing about Francisco has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story.
Boyle Heights lies just east of the Los Angeles River from downtown. In the first half of the 20th century it was one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city, home to Jewish, Japanese American, Mexican American and other families, and today it is overwhelmingly Latino, with deep family roots, busy commercial streets and a strong sense of community. Neighbors in Boyle Heights often know one another well, and a man found unconscious in the middle of the afternoon is the kind of event people notice.
Los Angeles recorded about 260 homicides in 2019, among the lowest yearly totals in more than half a century, yet many of those killings still went unsolved. The death of a 60-year-old man found on a sidewalk in daylight received only a brief notice in the Homicide Report.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Francisco Ruiz Morones could be found in news archives or public records. Nearly eight years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on Lancaster Avenue on the afternoon of January 24, 2019, or who knew Francisco, may hold information that could help. The Times listed the Hollenbeck detectives' number as 323-342-8960. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
