Elderly Woman Killed in Toy District NR10005pv

Los Angeles.  Los Angeles police detectives are asking the public’s help in providing any information about the murder of a Japanese hotel manager in her seventies, whom witnesses discovered bleeding in the second-floor office of the Chetwood Hotel this morning, January 5, 2010.

"It is so rare and all the more tragic to find a woman in her seventies murdered,"said Lt. Paul Vernon, who heads up the detective division in downtown.  "We have very little information to go on, but we hope someone saw or heard something."

Detectives did not release the nature of the woman’s injuries, but did acknowledge that no gun was used.  The woman’s name was not released pending notification of her family.

Around 11:30 AM a hotel resident inquired at the manager’s office and found the elderly woman bleeding on the floor.  Paramedics rushed her to the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center where she died a short time later.

"The motive in this crime is not immediately apparent,"Vernon said.  "But we are fortunate in downtown that people are very forthcoming with tips and information, especially when such an innocent victim is involved."

This murder is the first of the year in downtown. There were five homicides downtown in 2009, which was the lowest single year in over twenty years.

The Chetwood Hotel is located at 411 E. 4th Street.  It is a small, 3-story hotel that caters to Japanese tourists visiting Little Tokyo.  "We rarely, if ever, have calls for police at this hotel,"Lt. Vernon added.

Anyone with information is asked to call Central homicide detectives at 213-972-1254. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.   Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crimestoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters "LAPD."Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.