Frank Davis Montes was 20 years old when he died on Saturday, May 24, 2008, in Charter Oak, an unincorporated community in the San Gabriel Valley. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, he died of stab wounds at 19553 E. Covina Blvd. 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 described him as "a young Latino man" who "was stabbed to death in the 19500 block of Covina Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24." Sheriff's officials said that deputies from the San Dimas Sheriff's Station "responded to a call about a fight." When they arrived, deputies "found Montes lying in the parking lot of an apartment complex. He had been stabbed multiple times, authorities said." Paramedics were called, but Montes died at the scene.
The entry noted, "There was no description of a suspect," and asked anyone with information to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
Those few details suggest that his death grew out of a confrontation rather than an ambush. Someone called deputies about a fight, which means that at least one person saw or heard it happen. A fight in the parking lot of an apartment complex on a Saturday night may have drawn the attention of residents, and the person or people who fought with Montes would have been close enough to be seen. The record does not say whether Montes lived at the complex or was visiting, how many people were involved, what the fight was about, or whether the person who stabbed him left on foot or in a car.
Beyond those facts, little about Frank Montes has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this story, and no other news outlet appears to have followed the case. Frank Montes is a fairly common name, and searches turn up several other men who share it, including a man whose obituary was published in 2021, none of whom can be connected to this death. At 20, he was barely an adult. He surely had family and friends who remember him, but none of that has entered the public record.
Charter Oak is an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County that lies between the cities of Covina, Glendora and San Dimas. Because it has no city government of its own, it is patrolled by sheriff's deputies from the San Dimas Station. Covina Boulevard is one of its main roads, lined with homes, apartment complexes and small shopping centers.
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 Frank Davis Montes could be found in news archives or public records. More than 17 years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who lived at or visited the apartments on Covina Boulevard in Charter Oak in May 2008, who heard the fight on the night of May 24, or who knew whom Frank Montes was with that evening may hold information that could help. 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 (8477).
