Last Year's Bike Path Murder Investigation is Ongoing

It has been almost a year since Francisco Rivera, 49, was found killed from multiple stab wounds on the bike path by the Los Angeles River bed near Southern Avenue and Burtis Street in South Gate. The police has not made any arrests, but are pursuing leads.

“The investigation is ongoing,” said Sargent John Fredendall from the Homicide Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “We are continuing to follow leads.”

Rivera’s remains were found at approximately 1:30 am on July 30^th of last year. Investigators believe that the suspect attacked Rivera in order to rob him.

"The motive was robbery," said Sgt. Fredendall. 

The suspect was seen leaving the scene of the crime in a metallic colored GMC Yukon or Chevy Blazer, from either 1999 or a later year. He is described as a Hispanic male, in his late thirties to early forties, with a stocky build, and short black hair.

Sgt. Fredendall is optimistic about solving the case, despite the months that have passed since it happened.

“We are very confident,” said Sgt. Fredendall. “We will get to the bottom of it.”

The area where Rivera’s body was found was also near where officers would later The latter was the first confirmed homicide in South Gate of this year.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who is handling both investigations, said that these two homicides are not related, and that it is coincidence that the two victims were found around the same area.

The reality of having had two homicides in this particular appears to have frightened some employees that work in this predominantly commercial area. 

“At the end of the day,  [my colleagues and I] never exit the building to our cars without being in a group,” said an employee of a local business in the area, who did not provide Patch with a name out of concerns for their safety. “This area is very lonely and dark at night.”

The is aware of the dangers that people can come across. They therefore advise residents to not travel alone in the riverbed bike paths at night.

“We recommend that people don’t go to the river bed at night,” said Captain Keith Hupp of the South Gate Police Department, adding that going in a group is a way of mitigating the risk. “The riverbed gets pretty isolated and there isn’t a whole lot of light.”

See attached flyer for a picture of Francisco Rivera, as well as descriptions of suspect and his vehicle. 

Anyone with information on any of the homicides should contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted at http://lacrimestoppers.org or by texting the letters TIPLA along with your tip to CRIMES (274637). 

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