On February 16, 2024, at approximately 6:10 a.m., a Redondo Beach public works employee discovered 43-year-old Teddy Michael Campos unconscious in a stairwell of the Redondo Beach Pier parking structure, located in the 100 block of West Torrance Boulevard. Responding paramedics pronounced Campos dead at the scene, identifying a gunshot wound to his head and neck as the cause of death. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner later confirmed the manner of death as homicide.
Campos, a native of Los Angeles County, was known to frequent the beach area. While initial reports described him as homeless, family members clarified that he had housing in Carson and previously resided with his sister in Hawthorne. They emphasized his close family relationships and his efforts to maintain steady employment, including positions in construction and as a cashier at a Dollar Tree store.
The Redondo Beach Police Department (RBPD) initiated a homicide investigation, leading to the arrest of 29-year-old Alexis Martinez from Inglewood on March 6, 2024. Martinez was initially booked on suspicion of murder with bail set at $2 million. However, due to insufficient evidence at that time, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to press charges, resulting in Martinez's release on March 8.
Undeterred, RBPD detectives continued their investigation, gathering additional evidence as requested by the District Attorney's Office. Their persistence led to Martinez's re-arrest in early June 2024. Subsequently, Martinez was charged with murder and held on $1 million bail. He pleaded not guilty during a hearing on March 25.
The legal proceedings culminated on August 27, 2024, when Martinez pleaded no contest to first-degree murder in Torrance Superior Court. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison for the fatal shooting of Campos. This resolution provided a measure of justice for Campos's family, who had been deeply affected by both his tragic death and the complexities of the legal process.
