Miguel Gonzales was 44 years old when he died on Thursday, April 16, 2009, in the Hawthorne area of the South Bay. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds in the 11600 block of South Birch Avenue. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report described him as "a 44-year-old Latino" who "died after he was stabbed several times in the head and torso." It noted that "One other person was injured in the incident, and was treated for blunt-force injuries, officials said."
ABC7 Los Angeles reported more about what happened. According to sheriff's deputies, Gonzales "confronted the suspects when he spotted them tampering with a car on Birch Avenue near 116th Street just before midnight."
The station reported that "There was an altercation during which Gonzales was stabbed multiple times and hit with a blunt object," and that he "was pronounced dead at the scene."
The violence did not end with him. ABC7 reported that "another man came out of a nearby house to try to intervene," that he "got into a confrontation with the suspects and was severely beaten," and that he was taken to a hospital in "extremely critical condition." Deputies said they had "little information about the suspects, only that the two men are Hispanic." The station's account suggests that Gonzales was killed for stepping in when he saw what looked like a car being broken into or stolen on his street, and that a neighbor was badly hurt trying to help him.
Little else about Miguel Gonzales's life has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found. Miguel Gonzales is a very common name, and searches turn up many other men who share it in Texas, New York, New Mexico and elsewhere, none of whom can be tied to this death.
Hawthorne is a city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, a few miles east of the coast and just south of Inglewood. It is known as the hometown of the Beach Boys and for its long history in the aerospace industry. Much of the area is made up of apartment buildings and small single-family homes. Although the address was listed as Hawthorne, which has its own police department, the case is handled by the Sheriff's Department, which suggests the block may lie in an unincorporated pocket nearby rather than within the city itself.
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 Miguel Gonzales 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. The two men who attacked him were seen by at least two people, and they may have been seen by others on Birch Avenue that night. Anyone who lived near Birch Avenue and 116th Street in April 2009, or who later heard someone talk about a fight over a car 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 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).
