Alfonso Castro was 51 years old when he died on Monday, May 26, 2008, in Rosemead, in the San Gabriel Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 3226 Burton Ave. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report said that Castro "was stabbed to death in the 3200 block of Burton Avenue in Rosemead about 12:30 a.m. Monday, May 26." Local papers reported more. The Daily News wrote that he "was stabbed to death in his home early Monday morning" and "was found with multiple stab wounds to the upper torso." Sheriff's Deputy Denise Fuchs said that the back of the house "showed signs of forced entry," that police did not yet know whether the killing was "part of a home-invasion robbery" or had another motive, and that police did not know who had made the 911 call.
A neighbor, Claudia Alderete, told the paper, "He was a really nice man."
Three weeks later, the Whittier Daily News spoke with his family. It reported that someone "broke into his home on Burton Avenue, shut off the electricity and stabbed him to death," and that nothing seemed to be missing. His body was found by his sister just after midnight. His 19-year-old daughter, Yolanda, said, "This was not random. (They) had to have known where to get in to the house and where the electricity box was." She believed he was killed within minutes, because he had left his sister a voice mail mentioning a problem with his electricity before the message was cut off.
Castro had lived in the home for more than 20 years and had worked for more than 30 years as a central service technician at USC Medical Center. "He loved to work," his daughter said. Castro left behind two daughters, a son and his wife, from whom he was separated but still close. Detective Ray Lugo of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said investigators had "some leads and persons of interest," but released no more. "I don't know who they were going after and they're still out there," Yolanda Castro said.
Rosemead is a mostly residential city in the western San Gabriel Valley, east of downtown Los Angeles, made up largely of modest single-family homes and small apartment buildings. It contracts with the Sheriff's Department for police services, and it is crossed by the San Bernardino Freeway and by busy commercial streets such as Garvey Avenue and Valley Boulevard.
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 Alfonso Castro could be found in news archives or public records. More than 17 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. The account of a forced entry and electricity that was shut off suggests that whoever killed him had planned the attack. Anyone who saw someone near the house on Burton Avenue in Rosemead around midnight on May 26, 2008, or who has heard anyone speak about it since, 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).
