Los Angeles: Police have arrested one of two men who broke into an apartment and a shot a family of three, killing the father and his daughter and critically wounding the man's wife.
As Raul Cruz, 31, and his wife were sleeping on the morning of December 31, 2006, two men broke into their apartment, on the 700 block of Harvard Boulevard, around 4:15 A.M.. Raul tried to fight off the men, but one of the intruders fired, fatally wounding Raul and his 17-year-old daughter, Jessica Siriano. Raul's wife was also wounded, and she remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
Both suspects ran from the apartment after taking some of the family's belongings. In short order, Wilshire Area detectives identified and arrested 33-year-old Matthew Koontz, a Cruz family acquaintance, at 7:45 A.M. Koontz was booked for the Murder, and he remains in custody with no bail.
Detectives are now asking the public's help in finding Koontz's accomplice. He is described as Black and 25-30 years old. He stands approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call Wilshire Homicide Detectives Barry Telis or Javier Hernandez at 213-473-0446. After hours and on weekends, phone the 24-hour toll-free number at 1-877-LAW-FULL (1-877-529-3855).
Good luck catching and prosecuting the guilty parties. I have lived in Koreatown for about a year and I have never felt this unsafe living in Los Angeles my entire life. It started out OK in the beginning of 2006 and has gotten progressively worse throughout the year. Yes, I've read the LAPD asserttion that "overall crime" has lowered in K-Town, but a lot of crime goes unreported here because of language barriers and mistrust of police.
I sympathize with the underunded / undermanned department. I just hope they can figure out a way to make us feel safer down here.
Posted by: James OToole | January 04, 2025 at 02:51 PM
The 17 year old's last name is misspelled, its Cipriano, not Siriano. With that said, I was only wondering if there is any new information on the case and if I could find out which hospital her mother is located in? Its a shame that such a promising young girl's life was cut short.
Posted by: claudia | January 11, 2025 at 05:38 PM
this is a shame i9 hope those who did this rott in hell...i new jessica and i lived with her she was and will always live in our heart...r.i.p.
Posted by: jennifer delarosa | January 18, 2025 at 04:53 PM
I agree w/ Mr. O'toole. I lived in Ktown less than a year and it was enough for me to decide to leave Los Angeles altogether. The amount of gunshots, I would constantly see burning "gang" candles on my street and hear people screaming.
Posted by: Ktown Creeps me out | October 01, 2024 at 08:59 AM