Norma Lorena Rodriguez was 48 years old when she was killed on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007, in Inglewood. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, she died of stab wounds at 415 W. Manchester Blvd. Her death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as an Inglewood Police Department case.
She did not die alone. The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report said that Rodriguez "was killed with Joel Perez, at about 4:30 p.m.," and that "both were stabbing victims." Police had been sent to the address on a call of a robbery in progress at an insurance office, and when officers arrived they found the two victims. The Times quoted Det. Loyd Waters of the Inglewood Police Department as the source of the account.
The report gave a rough description of the attackers. "The suspects are three black men or youths," it said. "They are believed to have stolen the victims' cars."
The Times added that "tips from the public already helped police find one of the cars, a 2006 blue BMW." The other vehicle, a champagne-colored 2000 Ford Explorer, was still missing when the item was posted, and detectives were "seeking any information." The report did not say which car belonged to which victim, whether Rodriguez worked at the insurance office or was a customer there, or how the two victims knew each other, if they did.
Beyond those details, very little about Norma Lorena Rodriguez has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no later news report about the case appears in the material reviewed. Norma Rodriguez is a very common name, and searches turn up many other women who share it, including the victims of unrelated killings in Ventura County and New York, none of whom has any connection to this death. She surely had family, friends and coworkers who remember who she was, but none of that has entered the public record.
Inglewood is a city of its own in the southwestern part of Los Angeles County, close to Los Angeles International Airport and long known as the home of the Forum arena. Manchester Boulevard is one of its main east-west streets, lined with shops, offices and small businesses that serve the surrounding neighborhoods.
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 Norma Lorena Rodriguez could be found in news archives or public records. More than 18 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on or near the 400 block of West Manchester Boulevard on the afternoon of Sept. 26, 2007, or who saw a champagne-colored 2000 Ford Explorer or a blue BMW being driven or left behind in the days that followed, may hold information that could help. At the time, the Times said Inglewood investigators could be reached at (310) 412-5246. 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 Inglewood Police Department, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
