Family members identified the teenager who was killed in a stabbing that also wounded two others in El Monte earlier this week.
They told NBC Los Angeles on Sunday that 15-year-old Aziel Zacapala was a promising student and athlete at Rosemead High School.
The stabbing was reported in the 2600 block of North Potrero Avenue at around 1 p.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is assisting the El Monte Police Department. Details about what led up to the stabbing were not immediately known.
The boy was taken to the hospital, where he died. This video was broadcast during the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026.
Zacapala was taken to the hospital, where he died. The LASD on Saturday said a 16-year-old boy and a young man were also hospitalized after the stabbing. Officials did not provide details about their conditions.
As of Sunday night, no arrests have been made, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
A neighbor told NBCLA on Sunday that he witnessed a fight break out between three people in the area on Friday. He said he told them to stop and then went inside. When he came out later, he said there was a large police presence. It’s not known if that fight is connected to the stabbing.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.