The 2001 murder of a Korean War veteran has finally been solved with the help of a former L.A. city councilman.
On July 11, faced with solid evidence, 44-year-old Hugo Lara admitted to fatally stabbing East Los Angeles resident Alfredo Trevino inside Trevino’s bar 16 years ago. It was the first case cracked by former L.A. city councilman Greig Smith who has been working part-time as an LAPD reserve officer since 1992 and is currently assigned to the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit.
Smith was able to solve the case with the help of new DNA technology. With thorough detective work, Smith laid out of a scenario of what he thinks happened. A hit in the national database then confirmed that Lara was one of three people responsible for the Boyle Heights killing.
Smith served on the Los Angeles City Council form 2003 to 2011, representing a portion of the San Fernando Valley that includes Northridge, Chatsworth and Granada Hills. Current City Councilman Mitchell Englander was once his Chief of Staff and now holds the seat. He too is a reserve officer.