Police arrest Los Angeles man in murder of Santa Monica resident

By Dennis J. Freeman

City Editor

Police took a man into custody in the connection of the death of another male in Culver City early Saturday morning. Culver City Police detectives arrested Oscar Gonzales of Rowland Heights Sept. 14 for the murder of 38-year-old Daniel Lal.

Gonzales is being charged with second-degree murder, according to Capt. Jason Sims of the Culver City Police Department.

Early Saturday morning, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Culver City police officers as well as the Culver City Fire Department were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 4500 block of Jackson Ave. in Culver City.

Upon arrival on the scene, first responders discovered an unresponsive male at 4051 Jackson Ave. Authorities state that detectives learned that Gonzales had allegedly assaulted Lal, a Santa Monica resident, and knocked him unconscious. Gonzales was originally booked on voluntary manslaughter charges before those charges were upgraded to second-degree murder.

At this time, police have not determined the motive behind the deadly altercation.