Cary Rodriguez was 21 years old when he died on Sunday, May 5, 2019, in East Hollywood. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at Melrose and North Westmoreland avenues. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report described him only as "a 21-year-old Latino male" who "died Sunday, May 5, after being stabbed in East Hollywood." No news story about the stabbing could be found, and the police have not released any public account of what happened.
A fundraiser organized on GoFundMe by Dianita Rodriguez to pay for his funeral gave the only other account. It said, "Cary Rodriguez was only twenty one years old. His life was taken on saturday night/sunday morning," and that he was attacked by three men "with a deadly weapon."
If that account is accurate, more than one person took part in the attack, and others may know who they were.
The fundraiser said he "left behind a single mother and siblings." It described him as "a very shy and sweet guy" who "would always keep to himself and would always stay out of trouble." It also said that he "was in the process of joining the " and that "he really wanted to progress in life in order to provide a better life for his mom and sisters." The fundraiser raised $2,750 from 44 donations toward a goal of $15,000. A local blog later included his name in a list of people killed in East Hollywood.
Cary Rodriguez is a name shared by people in Florida, North Carolina, Uruguay and elsewhere, none of whom have any connection to this death.
East Hollywood is a dense, working-class neighborhood east of Hollywood proper, home to apartment buildings, small businesses and a mix of longtime residents and newer arrivals. It includes Los Angeles City College and several large hospitals along Vermont Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, and Melrose Avenue runs through it as a busy commercial street. The corner of Melrose and Westmoreland is in a crowded part of the neighborhood where people are often out late on weekend nights.
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 Cary Rodriguez could be found in news archives or public records. More than six years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was near Melrose and North Westmoreland avenues on the night of Saturday, May 4, or early Sunday, May 5, 2019, or who heard talk about three men involved in an attack there, 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 the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-527-3247 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
