Diego Ivan Ortega Reza, an 18-year-old Latino, was shot in East Los Angeles on July 10, 2021, and later died of his injuries. He was in the front passenger seat of a gray Toyota Sienna with his younger brother and a friend after a 4th of July celebration when an unknown assailant fired at the vehicle near 3431 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., as it neared Cesar Chavez Avenue and Lorena Street. Ortega Reza was struck in the head; the driver took him to a nearby hospital and he was later transferred to a trauma center where he died on July 10, 2021.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated the killing. At a press conference on October 20, 2021, Lieutenant Charles Calderaro announced a $15,000 reward sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Family and friends remembered Ortega Reza as a shy, enthusiastic recent high school graduate who had planned to attend college. The case remains unsolved.

If anyone knew Diego, was with him that night, or has information about the shooting, please come forward.