Peter Gomez was 49 years old when he died on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, in East Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 1313 Server Avenue. His death was ruled a homicide, and it is listed as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department case.
The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report recorded his death in a single sentence, describing him as "a 49-year-old Latino male" who died "after being stabbed in East Los Angeles." A news release from the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau gave more detail. It said that "the victim was stabbed during a struggle with the suspect," and that deputies "responded to a 'felony spousal assault' call and found the victim and suspect lying in the driveway of the residence."
According to the release, "investigators learned the victim drove to the location to retrieve property which belonged to him. Once there, he found that his property was missing or was sold and the two argued about his property.
The argument became heated and turned physical." The release continued: "As the two struggled in the driveway, the suspect drew a large knife from a scabbard on his ankle and stabbed the victim." Gomez "was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead."
The release shows that investigators knew from the start who the other person in the struggle was, since both men were found together in the driveway. It does not name that person, and it does not say whether he was arrested, whether prosecutors filed charges, or whether the case was reviewed as possible self-defense. No later news story, court record or public statement could be found that answers those questions, so the outcome of the case remains unclear in the public record.
Beyond the release, almost nothing about Peter Gomez has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found that clearly belongs to him. Peter Gomez is a common name, shared by a sheriff's deputy, a Texas judge, an Italian journalist and many men in court records and obituaries elsewhere, none of whom can be connected to this death. He surely had family and friends who remember who he was, but none of that has entered the public record.
East Los Angeles is a large unincorporated community east of downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. It is one of the most densely populated parts of the county, a place of small houses, apartment buildings and busy commercial streets such as Whittier Boulevard and Cesar Chavez Avenue. Because it is not part of any city, it is patrolled by the Sheriff's Department, and its homicide cases are handled by the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.
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 Peter Gomez could be found in news archives or public records. More than 11 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived on or near Server Avenue in East Los Angeles in July 2014, or who knew about the dispute over Peter Gomez's property, may hold information that could help explain what happened after that day. The release asked anyone with information to contact the Homicide Bureau at 890-5500. 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.
