Steven Valadez was 19 years old when he died on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, hours after he was stabbed during a brawl in Valinda. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds suffered at 16220 Maplegrove St. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report said that Valadez, a musician, "was attacked about 12:13 a.m. during 'a fight with several other males,' according to a statement from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. He was taken to a hospital where he died about 5:15 a.m." He played bass in Rumor Has It, a band based in La Puente, which memorialized him on its MySpace page.
"To those of you who don't already know, or weren't with us last night. Tragedy struck us hard. Our bass player and brother Steven, was killed last night in an ugly brawl in our hometown," the band's message read.
"To call Steven a 'friend' would be a total understatement of what he meant to us." Another member of the band, Adam Garcia, was also hurt. "Adam was also wounded last night too. Adam is doing fine, but is still in medical care," the message said. "As for our future, we're gonna take some time to slowly regroup and try to get over this."
A website that tracks the deaths of rock musicians later listed him as well, saying he was "stabbed while trying to stop a fight" and that he played with Rumor Has It, whose songs included "Taste Of Fame" and "The Let Down." That listing gives his age as 18, a year younger than the coroner's figure.
The Times reported that "no arrests were immediately made in the case," and no later report of an arrest could be found. The record does not say what started the fight, how many people took part, or whether the young men involved knew one another. With several people at the scene, including a wounded bandmate, it is likely that a number of witnesses saw at least part of what happened.
Valinda is an unincorporated community in the San Gabriel Valley, next to La Puente and West Covina, made up mostly of single-family homes on quiet residential streets. Because it is not part of a city, it is policed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
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 Steven Valadez could be found in news archives or public records. More than 16 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was at or near the 16200 block of Maplegrove Street in Valinda shortly after midnight on Oct. 18, 2009, or who knew the members of Rumor Has It, 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 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 (8477).
