A Latino man found dead on the sidewalk in the 7400 block of South Normandie Avenue on January 10 was later identified as 36-year-old Edgar Hometo Velazquez of Whittier.

LAPD criminal gang and homicide Detective Lyman Doster told the Los Angeles Times that Velazquez was a documented member of the 18th Street gang, one of L.A.'s largest, most aggressive operations — a crew that has spread from its Rampart-area origins to cities throughout the nation.

The enemy gunfire that killed Velazquez…

… was overheard by neighbors, who called into the station at about 4:45 a.m.

Upon arriving at the scene — Normandie at 77th Street, in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood — LAPD officers pronounced him dead at 5 a.m. sharp. City News Service reported that Velazquez had suffered multiple gunshots wounds to the chest, and that “several shell casings [lay] on the ground nearby.”

Though Doster told the Times that Velazquez' murder had no witnesses, he said investigators were “continuing to follow up on several leads.” He urged anyone with additional information about the crime to call him at (213) 485-1383.

Note: Due to technical difficulties, the LA Weekly's archive of all homicides within Los Angeles city limits was discontinued near the end of last year. As of April 4, we have been rolling out the 2011 homicides, one by one, and will continue until our “Murder was the Case” archive is up to date. Thanks for your patience.

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