Press Releases

December 9, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 64-year-old Carrie Elizabeth Romney to be blunt traumatic injuries. The fatal injury occurred after falling from the rooftop of a parking structure in Valencia. Death was pronounced on October 10 at 20:37 hours by responding…

November 24, 2025 – At 10:54 a.m. on Friday, November 21, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (Department) received a court order, initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), to place a security hold on Medical Examiner case number 2025-14252, Celeste Rivas Hernandez. No records or details associated with the case,…

July 22, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) Special Operations Response Team (SORT) responded yesterday to the 10 block of La Venezia Court in Altadena to investigate possible human remains found there. SORT investigated and determined the remains were human. The death toll related to the wildfires is now…

July 9, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 46-year-old Lucrecia Macias Barajas and 39-year-old Fredy Pojoy Sajqui as the effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The manner of death is accident.   Both Ms. Macias Barajas and Mr. Pojoy Sajqui were found unresponsive inside a…

June 10, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death of 26-year-old YouTuber Philip Enewally was sudden cardiac dysfunction due to solitary papillary muscle hypertrophy. Solitary papillary muscle hypertrophy is a subtype of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a risk factor for a sudden fatal cardiac event.…

June 2, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 34-year-old celebrity hairstylist Jesus Guerrero, Jr. as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans due to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Pneumocystis jirovecii and Cryptococcus neoformans are fungal organisms that can cause severe infections in people with…

April 2, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) Special Operations Response Team (SORT) responded today to the 900 block of Boston Street in Altadena to investigate possible human remains found there. Upon arrival, the 6-member SORT conducted an investigation and determined the remains were human. The death toll related…

February 19, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined the cause of death for 39-year-old journalist and news anchor Chauncy Cortez Glover as acute intoxication by the combined effects of chloroethane and methamphetamine. The manner of death is accident. Mr. Glover was found unresponsive in his home on November 5, 2024,…

February 18, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) identified two more individuals who died in the Palisades Fire – Randall Miod (2025-00547) and Hak Wong (2025-01708). The DME continues its work to identify the remaining five people who died in the January wildfires. MEDICAL EXAMINER CASE NUMBER FIRE APPROXIMATE…

February 13, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner positively identified Hak Wong (2025-01708), who died in the Palisades Fire. The DME has identified 23 of people who died in the wildfires and continues its work to identify the remaining six individuals. MEDICAL EXAMINER CASE NUMBER FIRE APPROXIMATE LOCATION DATE (Death…