Raul Ernesto Esparza was 44 years old when he was fatally stabbed early on Friday, January 10, 2020, in San Pedro. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds in the 800 block of South Beacon Street. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Los Angeles Police Department's Harbor Division.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report described a sudden attack on a man who was asleep. "About 3:30 a.m., Esparza was sleeping near the waterfront across the street from the post office when a person walked up to him and began to stab him," said Los Angeles Police Det. Julie Scruggs. "The person ran away, but it's unknown in what direction," Scruggs said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4 a.m., according to coroner's records.
The Daily Breeze reported that he was found near a homeless encampment at Ninth and South Beacon streets, and coroner's officials identified him as homeless.
Police were called on reports of a stabbing victim and found him lying on the ground. A police spokeswoman first said a person was in custody in connection with the stabbing, but, according to the Daily Breeze, "that person was ultimately released, and the suspect remained outstanding." A year later, the local paper Random Lengths News, in a review of homicides in the harbor area, wrote of his case that "no arrests have been made."
Little else about his life has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found, and the news reports did not say how long he had been living on the street, where he came from or whether he had family nearby. Raul Esparza is a common name, and many other men share it, none of whom can be tied to this death.
San Pedro is a waterfront community at the southern tip of the city of Los Angeles, home to much of the Port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest container ports in the country. Its downtown sits on a bluff above the main channel, and Beacon Street runs along the edge of that area near the harbor. Like many parts of Los Angeles, San Pedro saw homeless encampments grow in the years before his death, and people sleeping outside are especially exposed to attacks in the dark hours of the night.
Los Angeles recorded about 260 homicides a year in 2018 and 2019, among the lowest yearly totals in more than half a century, yet many of those killings still went unsolved.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Raul Ernesto Esparza could be found in news archives or public records. More than five years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was near the waterfront on South Beacon Street in San Pedro in the early morning of January 10, 2020, or who knew Raul Esparza from the encampment or elsewhere, may hold information that could help. 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 Harbor Division detectives at 726-7880, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
