Los Angeles police on Wednesday were investigating what led to the beating death of a 23-year-old man who was found lying in a street in the Westlake neighborhood.
The victim, later identified as Oscar Lazo, was located in the area of Union Avenue and Rockwood Street at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Ryan Rabbett.
The lieutenant said it appeared Lazo had been bludgeoned with an unknown object. He was apparently alone at the time of the assault, which left him fatally wounded in front of a church.
Initial reports indicated Lazo died as a result of blunt-force trauma, according to the coroner’s office, which released the man’s name.
An autopsy has not been conducted yet on the body, the coroner’s ffice stated.
Family members at the scene said they believed Lazo was jumped by a group of four man.
“He is a very good boy. He had a little girl,” said an emotional neighbor.
Meanwhile, police were still looking for anyone involved in Lazo’s death. By midday Wednesday, LAPD had not announced any arrests in the case, nor had they released any descriptions of those involved.
It was also not immediately known how many people police were looking for in connection with the death.
Earlier in the day, investigators had remained on scene for hours as they interviewed witnesses and collected evidence.
Several streets in the area were closed while detectives conducted their investigation, but the area was reopened by 5 a.m.
KTLA’s Steve Bien and Melissa Pamer contributed to this story.
