Murder Suspects Accused of Burying Couple Under House Sought

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, December 13, 2000

"Murder Suspects Accused of Burying Couple Under House Sought"

Los Angeles – Friday, December 15, 2000 at 2:00 p.m., a press conference seeking the public’s help in locating wanted murder suspects will be held at the Newton Community Police Station in the Community Room. The address to the Newton Community Police Station is 3400 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles.

Family members of the victims will be present and photographs of the wanted suspects will be available.

On September 13, 2000, Londy Massiel Acevedo contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and filed a missing persons report on her mother, Julia Morales, a female Hispanic 53 years of age and her brother, Jorge Sarmiento, a male Hispanic 34 years of age.

The investigation was initially assigned to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit. After several weeks of investigation, information was developed that led investigators to believe foul play was involved. During the course of the investigation, investigators developed information that Lody Acevedo’s common-law spouse, Alfonso Cardenas Lara, hired Eduardo Lara Cruz, Oscar Rudolfo Blanco and an unidentified male Hispanic to enter the residence and assist him in robbing the mother of an unknown amount of money contained in the house. During the course of the robbery, Jorge Sarmiento was able to remove his blind fold and identified Alfonso as being present. Alfonso subsequently murdered the victims and then buried them under the house.

On November 26, 2000, detectives responded to the victim’s residence and discovered the remains of two individuals buried under the house. Based upon circumstantial evidence, detectives believe the individuals buried are the remains of Jorge Sarmiento and Julia Morales. Detectives are currently looking for the whereabouts of Alfonso Cardenas Lara and Oscar Rudoplfo Blanco and believe they may have fled the country to avoid prosecution.

Anyone having information regarding the whereabouts of Lara and Blanco are encouraged to contact Detective Rico or McKnight at Newton Detectives 323 846-6556, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or after hours call the Detective Headquarters Division (DHD) 213-485-2504.

This press release was prepared by Officer Charlotte Broughton, Media Relations Section 213-485-3586.

For Release 3:00 pm PST
December 13, 2000