Lakewood Police Release More Details Regarding Man Who Died In Apartment Lot

At 9:46 PM, on November 12th 2012, a 911 call was received about shots fired at the Greenwood Apartments located at the 5300 block of San Francisco Avenue Southwest in Lakewood.  Patrol units arrived on the scene to find an unresponsive male lying on the ground outside an apartment.  The victim was not breathing and had what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the chest.  Patrol officers started CPR and Fire personnel eventually took over, but the subject was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Most of the subjects involved were Hispanic and there was a language barrier in getting initial information.  Homicide detectives were called out, along with LPD Investigators that speak Spanish to translate.

The investigation so far has revealed that the victim is a 32 year old Hispanic male that lived in the apartment complex.  The victim’s roommate, a 33 year old Hispanic male, was home at the time of the shooting.  The victim was last seen by the roommate standing outside the back of the apartment and the roommate went to bed.

He said that later he heard the victim yell for him and then a gunshot.  The roommate said he found the victim shot inside the apartment and later dragged him out to the front door and told neighbors to call 911.  The roommate said he did not see the shooting and does not know what happened.

A witness reported seeing a lone black male possibly talking with the victim or the roommate prior to the shooting.  Detectives are not sure if the male is involved and there is no better description of the subject.  A quantity of illegal narcotics was found in the victim’s apartment and it’s possible that drug trafficking played a role in the homicide.  Homicide detectives are still working the case and want to talk to anyone who may have information about what happened at the apartments.

LPD is not releasing the name of the victim until all next of kin have been notified.  If anyone has information on this case, they are urged to call the Lakewood Police Department at 253-830-5000 or the Lakewood Tip Line at 253-830-5064.  Tips can also be submitted through the LPD website or Crimestoppers at 253-591-5959.  Crimestoppers offers a reward for tipsters that whose information leads to an arrest and charges filed.

-Lakewood Police