The Los Angeles City Council agreed Wednesday to offer a $50,000 reward for tips that lead to the apprehension and conviction of whoever fatally stabbed a 22-year-old man who attended a music festival in Echo Park.
Carlos Arellano and a friend were walking in the 1500 block of Sunset Boulevard just before midnight Aug. 15 when they were approached by a Hispanic man in his early 20s. A fight ensued, and Arellano was stabbed in the upper body, police said. He died at a hospital.
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, who introduced the reward motion, noted that Arellano was attacked while the surrounding sidewalks were teeming with fellow attendees of the Echo Park Rising festival.
Arellano was a resident of Highland Park, with a family who “loved and cared for him, which is why I’m working with LAPD to bring whoever is responsible for this to justice,” the councilman said.
Cassandra Roman, a friend of the family, read a statement from Arellano’s sister Joanna, who made a plea to the public to “please help us find whoever is responsible for taking my brother away from his family and friends.”
Arellano “was an artist, a comedian, an entertainer, a dog groomer, a chef, friend, brother and son who loved to ride his skateboard all over L.A. He would cruise by saying ‘hi’ to everyone. He always had smile on his face,” his sister said.
Initial reports indicated several individuals approached Arellano that night, and the fight may have been over a skateboard.
O’Farrell directed a statement to witnesses who have yet to come forward.
“Do you really want to live with something like this on your conscience for the rest of your lives and not step forward?” he asked. “That is a very, very heavy burden to carry.”
Anyone with information about the stabbing was urged to call the LAPD’s tip line at (800) 222-8477.
—City News Service