Gabriel Leyva was 19 years old when he was stabbed to death in the early hours of Friday, October 30, 2015, in an unincorporated area just outside Covina, in the San Gabriel Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds in the 16800 block of East Bellbrook Street. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report described him as "a 19-year-old Latino" and gave an account from Lt. John Corina of the Sheriff's Department. Leyva was visiting a friend, and shortly after 1 a.m. the two decided to walk to a nearby store. On the way, they ran into two other young men who were also out walking. The four got into an argument, which Corina described as "a 'What are you looking at?'
type argument," and one of the two pulled out a knife and stabbed Leyva.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that the stabbing took place at 1:27 a.m., that Corina thought the pair were heading to a nearby 7-Eleven, and that Leyva was stabbed in the upper body more than once. His friend was not hurt. A passerby saw Leyva lying on the ground and called 911. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:39 a.m., about 12 minutes after he was stabbed, according to coroner's records. City News Service, writing for MyNewsLA, reported that the knife was not recovered at the scene.
The attacker was described as Latino and in his late teens or early 20s. Both young men ran east on Bellbrook Street and out of view. According to the Times, investigators believed the assailant was a gang member, but "it doesn't appear that Leyva was a gang member."
A Dignity Memorial obituary page from West Covina lists Gabriel Leyva with the dates February 20, 1996, to October 30, 2015, matching his age and the day he died. A search listing for the page opens with a familiar memorial verse, "When tomorrow starts without me and I'm not there to see." The page does not name his family or describe his life, but it shows that he was mourned in the community where he died.
The 16800 block of East Bellbrook Street lies in one of the unincorporated pockets of the eastern San Gabriel Valley, where neighborhoods of single-family homes sit beside incorporated cities such as Covina. Because these areas are not part of any city, the Sheriff's Department handles policing and homicide investigations there.
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 Gabriel Leyva could be found in news archives or public records. More than ten years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. The friend who was with him and the passerby who called for help both saw part of that night, and others in the neighborhood may have heard the argument or seen two young men running east on Bellbrook Street shortly before 1:30 a.m. on October 30, 2015. 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 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
