Raymond Lopez Cota was 47 years old when he died on Monday, Sept. 18, 2000, in Mission Hills, in the northeast San Fernando Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 9929 N. Sepulveda Blvd. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department Foothill Division case.
He was a Latino man, born on Nov. 23, 1952, and he carried his father's name as Raymond Lopez Cota Jr. Those details come from a memorial notice his sister placed in the Los Angeles Daily News on the first anniversary of his death. "Dearest Brother, It has been a year since you were taken from us," she wrote. "The pain has been very difficult to deal with. You are remembered in so many ways." She described him as "A Son, Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Nino and Friend!" and added, "I miss our talks, your smile and your laughter. I will always keep your precious memory in my heart." She signed it, "Love your sister, Laura."
The notice shows that he left behind a wife, at least one child, a sister, and nieces or nephews, as well as a godchild, since "nino" is the Spanish word for godfather. It does not say how he died, and no news outlet appears to have reported on the death.
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.
Mission Hills takes its name from Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana, founded in 1797, which still stands in the neighborhood alongside the San Fernando Mission Cemetery. It is a largely residential community of single-family homes and apartment buildings, with a large Latino population and busy commercial strips. Sepulveda Boulevard is one of the long north-south roads that cross the San Fernando Valley, carrying heavy traffic past shops, gas stations, motels and apartment complexes.
Homicides in Los Angeles rose sharply in the early 2000s, climbing past 600 in 2002, and detectives carried heavy caseloads. Many killings from those years were never solved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Raymond Lopez Cota could be found in news archives or public records. More than 25 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived or worked near the 9900 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard in mid-September 2000, or who knew Raymond and saw him in the days before his death, 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.
