Council Posts $15,000 Reward in Killing of San Diego Youth

Los Angeles authorities offered a $15,000 reward Friday for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the murder of a 17-year-old San Diego boy who was beaten and shot for no apparent reason as he walked along a North Hollywood street.

Miguel Diaz, who was visiting a North Hollywood friend, was walking along Coldwater Canyon Boulevard near Vose Street at 9 p.m. on June 1 when a car pulled alongside him and two men, one armed with a handgun, stepped out.

Detective Jim Witowski said two friends who were with Miguel fled when they saw that the man was armed. Miguel was unable to get away. The men threw Miguel to the ground and beat and kicked him. One of the men shot the teen-ager, police said.

Miguel was taken to Pacifica Hospital of the Valley where he died 20 days later without regaining consciousness. Witowski said police have no clues in the killing. Although Miguel was attacked in a neighhorhood considered to be gang turf, the teen-ager was a visitor with no known gang affiliations, police said.

“My personal belief is that there was no gang involvement or drugs,” Witowski said. “But why did they pick him? He didn’t know anybody around here. There is no known reason for it.”

The victim’s mother, Inez Backnick, appeared with officials Friday at the spot where her son was attacked. She described him as a nonviolent person who would not have provoked the attack.

“He was just a regular person,” Backnick said. “He was peace-loving. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The City Council unanimously approved the award Friday morning. City Councilman Joel Wachs said he sought the reward at the request of police, who have no leads and are seeking the public’s help.

“This murder was brutal and senseless, and it has to be dealt with,” Wachs said.