Full Notification

Homicide Bureau Detectives and Mother Ask Public for Information to Help Find Suspects Responsible for Shooting Death of Four-Year-Old Boy in Altadena;

$20,000 Reward Offered

Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau investigators made a public plea for assistance in locating suspects responsible for the shooting death of a little boy last month. 

Four-year-old Salvador Esparza III of Monrovia was looking forward to starting kindergarten this fall, but the chance to realize one of his first big milestones was snapped away when he was shot and killed late Tuesday evening, July 5, 2016, in Altadena, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County.

Salvador was with his parents that night, visiting a friend’s home in the 300 block of West Figueroa Drive.  As he stood in the front doorway, an unknown suspect fired numerous rounds in the direction of the dwelling, fatally striking little Salvador in the head and injuring a 27-year-old Black male.  The suspect was on foot and fled the scene southbound on Olive Avenue; he got into a black vehicle, which continued the flight southbound on Olive Avenue.

Both victims were transported to a local hospital, where Salvador was pronounced dead and the second victim was treated for his injury.

Although investigation led detectives to suspect the shooting was gang-related, it is not believed Salvador was the intended target.

The shooting suspect is described only as a Black male.

This morning, Thursday, August 25, 2016, Salvador’s family gathered for a press conference on the sidewalk in front of the house where the shooting occurred.  Salvador’s mother, Coral Salvador, made an emotionally-intense appeal for anyone with information to contact authorities.  She spoke of the son she achingly misses, “He was my world.  He was my everything.” 

In hopes of encouraging witnesses to come forward, Detective Lieutenant John Corina presented a reward amount of $20,000 dollars, offered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in exchange for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the murder of Salvador Esparza III.

If you have any information about the shooting, the suspect or the escape vehicle, please call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.  If you wish to remain anonymous, please call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), or use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 MOBILE APP” on Google play or the App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

Written by:

Deputy Lillian Peck

Sheriff’s Information Bureau

211 West Temple Street,

Los Angeles, CA  90012

213-229-1700

Website LASD HQ: http://www.lasd.org

Recruitment LASD: http://www.careers.lasd.org

Follow LASD HQ via text and email: http://www.Nixle.com

https://nixle.com/lasd---los-angeles-county-sheriffs-dept-information-bureau-sib/

Twitter:  @LASDHQ http://twitter.com/LASDHQ

Twitter:  @LASDtalk https://twitter.com/LASDTalk

Twitter:  @LASDvideos https://twitter.com/LASDvideos

Twitter:  @LASDespanol https://twitter.com/LASDespanol

Facebook LASD HQ:  http://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment

Instagram LASD Photos:  http://instagram.com/LASDHQ

Pinterest LASD Photos:  http://pinterest.com/lacountysheriff/

YouTube LASD Videos:  http://www.youtube.com/user/LACountySheriff/videos?view=0

SNAP LA County:  Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary Registryhttp://snap.lacounty.gov/

Alert LA County:  Telephone emergency mass notification system

http://www.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/alertla

Text and email, register for LASD Nixle messages:  To receive more detailed, up-to-date information via E-MAIL and/or TEXT directly from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), sign up for "Nixle" alerts at http://www.Nixle.com and register for "LASD – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept Information Bureau (SIB)" AND your local LASD station area.  To receive URGENT TEXT ALERTS ONLY, text your zip code to 888777.  Standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your calling plan.

"If You See Something, Say Something"

LA Crime Stoppers:  Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station.  If you wish to remain anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), using your smartphone by downloading the “P3 MOBILE APP” on Google play or the App Store, or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org

Jim McDonnell, Sheriff

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department