Jeremy Javier Caldera was 36 years old when he died on Sunday, July 21, 2013, in Azusa. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds near 403 S. Vernon Ave. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as an Azusa Police Department case.
The coroner's records describe him as a Latino man. He did not live in Azusa. Newspaper reports identified him as a resident of Banning, a city in Riverside County, far to the east in the San Gorgonio Pass, which suggests he had come to the San Gabriel Valley that weekend to visit friends or family, though the reports do not say why he was there.
According to the San Gabriel Valley newspapers, Jeremy was "fatally stabbed Sunday during a large fight in the street in front of a house party." He "was stabbed multiple times in his upper body and was rushed to a nearby trauma center where he died from his injuries a short time later, Azusa police officials said." He was not the only one hurt.
"A second man who also had multiple stab wounds to his upper body was taken to the hospital by a friend," Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe said, and his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. Detectives withheld the age and city of the surviving victim because of the ongoing investigation.
The people who were fighting did not stay. "The other individuals involved in the fight fled the scene when officers arrived," the reports said. Two days after the stabbing, detectives "had no suspect description available," Sgt. Tim Harrington said. The newspapers headlined their report with the words "suspect remains at large." The reports do not say what started the fight, how many people took part, who was hosting the party, or whether Jeremy knew the people he was fighting with.
Beyond these reports, almost nothing about Jeremy's life has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story. Searches for his name turned up mainly other men named Jeremy Caldera, including a businessman in Illinois, none of whom is connected to this case.
Azusa is a city of about 50,000 people at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, where the San Gabriel River comes out of its canyon. Historic Route 66 runs through the city, and it is home to Azusa Pacific University. Its residential neighborhoods are made up mostly of modest single-family homes and small apartment buildings on quiet residential streets, the kind of blocks where a weekend party can draw guests from across the region and where neighbors often notice who comes and goes.
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 Jeremy Javier Caldera could be found in news archives or public records. More than 12 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. The guests at the house party on South Vernon Avenue on July 21, 2013, the people who took part in the fight and ran, and the friend who drove the second wounded man to the hospital may all 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 contact the Azusa Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
