Francisco Vera Hernandez was 69 years old when he died on Sunday, June 8, 2003, in Montebello, a city just east of Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 460 N. Garfield Ave. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Montebello Police Department case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report gave only the most basic facts. It described him as "a 69-year-old Latino male" who "died Sunday, June 8, after sustaining blunt force trauma in Montebello, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records."
Beyond his name, his age and the place where he died, almost nothing about Francisco Vera Hernandez has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no news outlet appears to have reported on the death. He surely had family, friends or neighbors who remember who he was, but none of that has entered the public record. Francisco Hernandez is one of the most common names in the Spanish-speaking world, and even with his full name the records that turn up belong to other men, none of whom can be tied to the man who died in Montebello.
Because so little has been released, even the basic circumstances remain unknown to the public. The record does not say whether he was beaten in a fight, attacked by a stranger, assaulted indoors or on the street, or struck by a vehicle, all of which can lead to a finding of blunt force trauma. It does not say what time of day he was hurt, whether he died at the scene or later at a hospital, whether anyone saw what happened, or whether investigators ever identified a suspect.
At 69, he was at an age when an assault that a younger man might survive can prove fatal. The record gives a street address on one of the city's main roads, which suggests that he may have been hurt at or near a home or business, though it does not say whether he lived there, worked there or was simply passing by.
Montebello is a city of mostly residential neighborhoods at the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley, bordering East Los Angeles and the city of Commerce. It is known for its large Latino and Armenian communities, and the Montebello Town Center shopping mall. Garfield Avenue is one of the main north-south roads through the city. Unlike many smaller cities in the county, Montebello has its own police department, which is why this death was investigated by city detectives rather than by the Sheriff's Department.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Francisco Vera Hernandez could be found in news archives or public records. More than 22 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived or worked near the 400 block of North Garfield Avenue in Montebello in early June 2003, or who knew Francisco Hernandez and saw him in the days before he died, may hold information that could help investigators. 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 Montebello Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
