A man is dead after police say he fell into the lake at MacArthur Park while fighting with several others.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it is investigating a homicide after the death was reported around 8:30 a.m. Witnesses told police a confrontation occurred near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street.
Eventually, that confrontation moved near the lake, where one man fell into the water. Emergency services then recovered the body.
While investigators continue looking into what led up to the confrontation, frequent parkgoers expressed concerns over the death.
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William Melendez, an ambassador for Homies Unidos Peace, pointed out the drug usage at Macarthur Park.
“The drug use seems to be getting worse, which causes violence,” Melendez said. It is unclear if drugs were a factor in the investigation.
“We don’t know what led up to it,” Lt. Ryan Rabbett of the LAPD Central Bureau homicide unit said. “If it was a dispute over narcotics? We just don’t know.”
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Police said the individuals involved in the fight have been arrested with help with witness testimony and surveillance video.
“There are several video cameras,” Rabbett said. “Like I said, we haven’t completely reviewed them but from what we’ve seen, it does tell a story of a fight.”
Law enforcement did not release the names of those who were detained, nor did police specify what charges they may face.
The name of the man who died has not been released. LAPD did not specify a cause of death in the case.
