Police Seek Help in Finding Boy’s Body

Los Angeles police on Friday asked for the public’s help in finding the body of a 16-year-old Northridge youth who they believe was killed by a 19-year-old alleged gang member during a robbery.

Michael Azzaro, a 10th-grader at Granada Hills High School, was last seen at noon on Feb. 13 before he drove to South Los Angeles to buy a gun with Evans York, an acquaintance he had known for only a few months, Lt. Kyle Jackson told reporters gathered at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire station.

York, who police say is also known as Hilberto Casildo, was already in custody Thursday for an unrelated weapons charge when he was arrested in the death of Azzaro, Jackson said. He said interviews with York and several witnesses indicated foul play, but he declined to elaborate.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has found enough evidence to file a murder charge against York, but detectives say the recovery of Azzaro’s body may provide additional clues that will strengthen the case for prosecutors. York will be arraigned March 11.

“Michael could be anyone’s brother,” Jackson said, “and someone out there knows where Michael’s body is.”

Detective Neal May, who is leading the investigation, said police have few clues about where Azzaro might be found.

York has been charged with a special-circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery, giving prosecutors the option of seeking the death penalty, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

Detectives said Azzaro’s family is affluent and police believe robbery was involved in the killing.

Azzaro was reported missing a day after he and York went in Azzaro’s Isuzu Rodeo on a trip to South Los Angeles where York said he could get a gun for Azzaro, police said. Detectives would not disclose why Azzaro wanted a gun, but they said he was not involved in crime or gangs.

“We don’t even know if they ever made it down there to buy the gun,” Detective Ken Crocker said.

York turned himself in to authorities two days later, saying that he and Azzaro had been kidnaped and held in Van Nuys, police said. York told police he escaped but Azzaro remained behind. That same day, Azzaro’s car was found in Lennox, authorities said.