Beatrice Montgomery was 73 years old when she died on Sunday, June 11, 2000, in Pomona. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, she died after sustaining blunt force trauma at 1550 N. Park Ave. Her death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Pomona Police Department case.
Montgomery lived at the Ember Care Health Center, a rest home at that address. The Los Angeles Times reported two days later that she "died after struggling with a 62-year-old man at the rest home where they both lived." The two "argued at the Ember Care Health Center about 5 p.m. Sunday," the newspaper said, and "the pair fell to the ground on the community patio where they fought," according to Pomona police Sgt. Jerry Wright.
Both residents were taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. "Soon after arrival, Montgomery died," The Times reported. The man was listed in stable condition. "The cause of the argument had not yet been determined, investigators said."
That brief article is the only public account of her death that could be found. It did not say whether the man was arrested, questioned or released, and no later story reported on the outcome of the investigation. The coroner's ruling of homicide means only that her death was caused by another person; it does not by itself say whether anyone acted with criminal intent, and the public record does not show how police or prosecutors viewed the fall.
No obituary or memorial page for her could be confirmed. The record does not name her family, say how long she had lived at the home or describe her life before she moved there. At 73, she may well have had children, grandchildren or friends who visited her, but none of them have spoken publicly about her death.
Pomona is one of the older cities of eastern Los Angeles County, known as the home of the Fairplex, where the Los Angeles County Fair is held, and of Cal Poly Pomona. A care home is a place with staff, residents and visitors coming and going, which suggests that other people may have been near the patio that afternoon.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest. Deaths in care settings can be especially hard for families, who expect a parent or grandparent to be safe there.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Beatrice Montgomery 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 worked at or visited the Ember Care Health Center in Pomona in June 2000, or who knew Beatrice Montgomery and her life there, may be able to explain what happened on the patio that Sunday afternoon and what came of the investigation. 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 Pomona Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
