Javier Castaneda was 23 when he was fatally shot on January 18, 2003, in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. Coroner’s records list multiple gunshot wounds as the cause of death; he died at the scene. Family and friends remember him as kind-hearted and hardworking.

Investigators conducted interviews and followed leads but encountered few willing witnesses, a problem the text attributes to fear of retaliation. The LAPD continued periodic reviews of the file but made no arrests and no suspects have been identified. The case remains open.

If anyone has information about Javier’s death or was in Boyle Heights on January 18, 2003, please contact the LAPD with anything that might help.