[UPDATED with Victim I.D., New Details:] Gary Allen Smola, OC Homicide No. 28: Beaten to Death
Categories: 2012 Homicides
See the update at the end of this post identifying the victim as Gary Allen Smola, 50, plus more details.
ORIGINAL POST, AUG. 6, 8:25 A.M.: A man who lived alone in the 1700 block of Whittier Avenue in Costa Mesa was found beaten to death Saturday afternoon.
Police responding to a 4:20 p.m. call of of a deceased man in the residence found the unidentified resident "with injuries to his body indicating he had been struck with an unknown object," according to police Lt. Paul Dondero.
There was no evidence of a forcible entry into the home, Dondero added.
Anyone with information that can help homicide investigators is asked to contact Detective Carlos Diaz at 714.754.5097 or the Investigations Bureau at 714.754.5205.
UPDATE, AUG. 6, 6:09 P.M.: The homicide victim has been identified as Gary Allen Smola, 50, the lone resident of the Whittier Avenue home where his body was found, according to a Costa Mesa Police update.
He appears to have been self-employed as an automobile-boat-RV detailer, according to police.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department Coroner's Division, after an autopsy this morning, concluded Smola's death was a homicide and the cause was blunt force trauma injuries to the head.
The object or weapon used to assault Smola remains unknown, according to police, who add that in addition to there being no evidence of forcible entry into the home, no property or valuables appear to be missing.
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Police responding to a 4:20 p.m. call of of a deceased man in the residence found the unidentified resident "with injuries to his body indicating he had been struck with an unknown object," according to police Lt. Paul Dondero.
There was no evidence of a forcible entry into the home, Dondero added.
Anyone with information that can help homicide investigators is asked to contact Detective Carlos Diaz at 714.754.5097 or the Investigations Bureau at 714.754.5205.
UPDATE, AUG. 6, 6:09 P.M.: The homicide victim has been identified as Gary Allen Smola, 50, the lone resident of the Whittier Avenue home where his body was found, according to a Costa Mesa Police update.
He appears to have been self-employed as an automobile-boat-RV detailer, according to police.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department Coroner's Division, after an autopsy this morning, concluded Smola's death was a homicide and the cause was blunt force trauma injuries to the head.
The object or weapon used to assault Smola remains unknown, according to police, who add that in addition to there being no evidence of forcible entry into the home, no property or valuables appear to be missing.
Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!
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