Man Gets Stabbed During Verbal Confrontation

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Sunday, June 25, 2000

"Man Gets Stabbed During Verbal Confrontation"

Los Angeles – On Saturday, June 24, 2000, at approximately 2:50 p.m., Victim Joseph Saidel Jean, male, 41 years of age, was standing on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building on the 1800 Block of West 87th Street. Jean had been selling Los Angeles Lakers memorabilia and cigarettes in the area. Suspect James Belt, male, 36 years of age, approached Jean and became involved in a verbal confrontation with him. Belt armed himself with a kitchen knife and stabbed Jean to death.

Los Angeles Police Department, 77th Street Patrol Officers responded and took James Belt into custody without incident.

The motive for the attack has not been determined.

77th Street Homicide Detectives Blair McCormack and Hugo Baeza is conducting the investigation. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call 77th Street Homicide Detectives, at 213-485-1383 or 77th Street Watch Commander, at 213-485-2389.

This press release was prepared by Officer Trevion Stokes, Media Relations Section.

For Release 5:00 pm PDT
June 25, 2000