Jorge Ramirez was 38 years old when he died on Thursday, February 22, 2007, in the Vermont-Slauson neighborhood of South Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at Vermont Avenue and 68th Street. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department case, handled by detectives of the 77th Street Division.
Unlike many entries in the Los Angeles Times Homicide Report, his has a short account of what happened. The Times reported that Ramirez "was pushing a shopping cart from a nearby grocery store where he had been shopping with his girlfriend when he was attacked." It said "the suspects hit Ramirez in the head with a car 'club' security device, and fled in a blue sedan." He did not die at once. According to the report, "he died later of his injuries," and the time of death was given as 2:18 p.m.
Investigators told the Times that "the motive was robbery." The attackers "took Ramirez's wallet and other items." The report did not say how many people were involved, whether the girlfriend was hurt, or whether anyone else on the busy street saw the attack. It referred to "the suspects" in the plural, which suggests that more than one person took part, and the mention of a blue sedan suggests that the attackers arrived or left by car. At the time, the Times asked anyone with information to call Det. Armando Bernal at 485-1385.
The details that were released describe an ordinary errand that ended in violence. He had been shopping for groceries with someone he cared about. A car club is a heavy steering wheel lock that many drivers kept in their vehicles in those years, and its use as a weapon suggests the attackers may have grabbed what they had at hand inside the car.
Beyond these details, little about Jorge Ramirez has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story. His name is among the most common Spanish-language names in Southern California, and searches for it return thousands of unrelated people, including several men of the same name who were arrested in other states, none of whom has any connection to this case.
Vermont-Slauson is a working-class neighborhood in South Los Angeles, built around the crossing of Vermont Avenue and Slauson Avenue, two of the area's main commercial streets. Vermont Avenue runs north and south through much of the city and is lined with small markets, auto shops, churches and apartment buildings. The neighborhood falls within the LAPD's 77th Street Division, which has long been one of the busiest police divisions in Los Angeles.
Homicides in Los Angeles fell steeply in the late 2000s and early 2010s, yet many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Jorge Ramirez 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 was near Vermont Avenue and 68th Street in February 2007, who noticed a blue sedan leaving the area, or who later heard someone talk about a robbery outside a grocery store, may hold information that could help detectives. 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.
