A man who died after apparently being beaten during an argument on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood was a Long Beach resident, authorities said Saturday.
Luis Vega was 49 years old, said Lt. David Smith of the coroner’s office. Vega’s cause of death was deferred pending additional investigation.
Deputies responded to an altercation about 12:30 a.m. Friday to the 8500 block of Melrose Avenue, near La Cienega Boulevard, and found Vega, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives said Vega and a man and woman got into an argument shortly after leaving a rooftop bar in the area.
“It looks like our victim fell to the ground and then was possibly stomped or kicked repeatedly in the head,” sheriff’s Lt. Derrick Alfred told ABC7.
The suspects ran from the location and were sought by authorities.
“Deputies from West Hollywood Station responded to the corner of Melrose Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard regarding a fight call,” sheriff’s Deputy Alejandra Parra said in a statement.
“Prior to deputies arriving, Los Angeles Police Department officers were flagged down regarding a person down on the street, related to the same incident,” Parra said. “Officers discovered the victim unresponsive in the crosswalk on the northwest corner of the intersection. … The victim appeared to have suffered blunt force trauma.
“Prior to the assault, the victim had been at a nearby rooftop bar and restaurant with friends,” Parra said. “Although the (suspects) were at the rooftop bar and restaurant at the same time as the victim and his friends, it is unknown at this time if an incident occurred within that may have precipitated the assault.”
Parra said it was not known if any weapons were involved in the attack.
Although the Melrose/La Cienega intersection is in the West Hollywood city limits, the boundary with Los Angeles is just a few dozen feet north and south of that point. Thus, the sheriff’s department had jurisdiction because it was within WeHo city limits, but the LAPD was the initial respondent because they were riding by on La Cienega when the person flagged them down.
Anyone with information on the crime is urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
