Expand / Collapse search
☰

2 teens charged in deadly attack of youth counselor in South LA

By KJ Hiramoto
Updated  January 5, 2021 9:40am EST
California
FOX 11 Los Angeles

6 in custody following death of South LA counselor

Six people under the age of 18 were arrested for a deadly weekend assault of a South Los Angeles counselor, police said.

LOS ANGELES - A youth counselor was beaten to death by a group of teens after he tried to break up a fight at a youth center near South Los Angeles over the weekend, police said. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a call of a fight breaking out from the Wayfinder Family Services, a private nonprofit youth center, before 10 p.m. on Saturday.

LASD said David McKnight-Hillman, 25, who is a counselor at the youth center, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

During the investigation, seven teens were identified as the suspects in the deadly attack. Six of the suspects are in custody with the seventh suspect is on the run.

Two of the suspects, both 18-years-old, are being charged with murder, LASD said.

Silvio Orlando, the CEO of Optimistic Youth Homes and Family Services discussed on Good Day LA Thursday with FOX 11’s Michaela Pereira how a California law that went into effect in 2015 has impacted youth group homes. 

Silvio Orlando discusses how changes to Calif. law in 2015 affects youth group homes following South LA tragedy

As of Monday night, LASD does not know the motive for the deadly attack.

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.