Ricardo Balderrama was 18 years old when he died at 12:05 a.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2007, in Hawthorne. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma in the 12200 block of Oxford Avenue. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department case.
According to the Los Angeles Times Homicide Report, Ricardo was "hit on the head with a two-by-four." A resident coming home through the alley found him at about 11:48 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25, "lying near the garage, bludgeoned and left for dead," said Lt. Gil Carrillo of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau. He died less than 20 minutes later. The Times wrote that he may have been chased to the spot where he was found, and that earlier that night people had heard dogs barking.
Sheriff's Detective Mitch Loman told the Times that Ricardo "was studying to get his GED." The young man "didn't belong to the local gang, but was from the neighborhood, and in the past, had been menaced, picked on and burglarized by local gang members." Investigators did not say publicly whether they believed those same people were involved in his death, and no suspect was ever named in the published record.
Beyond those few lines, little about Ricardo has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story. His name is not rare, and searches turned up mostly other men who share it, in Arizona, Texas and elsewhere, none of them connected to his death. He was a teenager working toward a diploma, which suggests he was still trying to build a future when his life was cut short.
The details that were released describe a frightening last few minutes. A young man was struck with a piece of lumber in an alley behind homes, late on a summer night, and left near a garage. Neighbors heard dogs barking before he was found. Someone in those houses may have heard footsteps, shouting or a car leaving, and may not have realized at the time what they were hearing.
Hawthorne is a city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, known for its long ties to the aerospace industry and as the hometown of the Beach Boys. It is a densely built community of apartments and small houses, many of them served by rear alleys like the one where Ricardo was found.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest. Cases like this one, with no named suspect and no witness who came forward publicly, are among the hardest for detectives to close.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Ricardo Balderrama could be found in news archives or public records. More than 18 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived near the 12200 block of Oxford Avenue in July 2007, or who knew Ricardo and the trouble he had faced in the neighborhood, may hold information that could help. The Times asked that tips go to Detective Loman or Detective Steve Rubino at 323-890-5500. 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 contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
