Dante Bautista Batimana was 69 years old when he died on Monday, January 28, 2019, in Diamond Bar. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds in the 21200 block of Trigger Lane. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a case of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau.
He was killed in his own home.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that a roommate found his body "with multiple stab wounds inside their home in the 21200 block of Trigger Lane." Paramedics pronounced him dead at 3:12 p.m. that Monday. A Sheriff's Department statement said he "had multiple stab wounds to his upper torso."
Detectives canvassed the neighborhood the next day but did not find any neighbor who had heard or seen the attack. "We want to question everybody," Lt. Charles Calderaro said. "But we have not identified a suspect." Calderaro said the man who found the body did not appear to be related to the victim but told deputies he lived at the home, and that there might be others who lived at the house.
News outlets in the Philippines and in Filipino American media also covered his death. Asia Times reported that he was from the town of Imus in Cavite province in the Philippines, and that his family "called on the Filipino community in Diamond Bar to contact the police if they have any information on the case."
His family set up a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral and memorial costs. "His life was taken from him as a result of a violent murder in his own home," the family wrote. They described him warmly: "Dante was small in stature but his personality was larger than life. He was a boundless entrepreneur who believed in the American dream and the idea of endless possibility. He loved life and a good party." They added that he would "be remembered for his vivid stories and ideas, outlandish humor, and his unwavering love for the Los Angeles Lakers." He was survived by a son, a daughter, a grandson and two dogs, Cabo and Midnight. More than 200 people donated to the fund, and the family wrote that they were grieving and seeking justice.
Diamond Bar is a suburban city in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, near the borders of Orange and San Bernardino counties. It is known for its rolling hills, quiet residential neighborhoods of single-family homes and its large Asian American population. Violent crime is relatively uncommon there, which made a killing inside a home on a residential street all the more shocking to neighbors.
Hundreds of people are killed in Los Angeles County every year, and a large share of those killings end without an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Dante Bautista Batimana could be found in news archives or public records. More than six years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived on or near Trigger Lane in Diamond Bar in January 2019, or who knew Dante Batimana or the people who shared his home, may hold information that could help detectives. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
