BY KATE CAGLE
A week after a man was found dead near his apartment at Step Up on 5th in Santa Monica, police have few clues as to who killed him.
Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, police found the body of Kenneth Jackson on the 1500 block of 5th Street. It appeared he was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. There are no suspects in the case at this time.
Neighbor Austria Giancarlo says 56-year-old Jackson lived on the fourth floor of the Step Up building, which provides stable housing for adults suffering from mental health issues. She remembers speaking with him the day before he was found dead.
“I just remember the sad look in his eyes,” Giancarlo said. “He was just a regular guy, you know. He had his issues with liquor and drugs.”
Police believe the homicide actually happened in Venice, near the intersection of Vernon Avenue and Hampton Drive, just a block away from Google’s Venice office. Because the altercation happened in the Oakwood neighborhood, Los Angeles Police Department Homicide Detectives are investigating the case.
“It’s tough when the victim ends up somewhere else,” said Detective S. Kinchla. “We have to piece it together.”
Detectives believe the fight happened late in the evening on Nov. 29. Witnesses say it involved an African American man of unknown age. Jackson then left the area and somehow made it to Santa Monica, but investigators don’t know how.
If anyone has information that may help the investigation, they should contact the LAPD’s West Bureau Homicide Division at (213) 473-0277. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
kate@www.smdp.com
