__________________
______________________________
__________________
______________________________
BY BRIAN HEWS • April 23, 2021
The inaction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in the mysterious death of 18 year-old Hawaiian Gardens resident Aisha Nava has caused an outcry among her family, the city’s residents, and local elected officials.
On March 27, after seeing an afternoon movie, Aisha told her mom she was going to walk to her friend’s house, by her 8 p.m. curfew that night, she had not come home. Her body was later found in the L.A. river underneath a bridge in Compton.
The investigators first ruled it a suicide on their report, that the injuries were consistent with suicide, and were ready to close the case. But Aisha’s mom Natalie would have none of that, she did not believe her daughter, an honors graduate of Artesia High, and a current student at Cerritos College, committed suicide.
A few days later the coroner “deferred” the cause of death and the investigation was continued; according to sources the coroner did not issue a death certificate.
In an official statement, the Sheriff’s Information Bureau told HMG-CN, “the case involving Aisha Nava remains open and investigators are actively working to obtain additional information. The corner has deferred the cause of death pending additional investigation. At this time the death has not been officially declared a suicide.”
But there was a disturbing pattern building.
First, the investigators ruled it was a suicide but the coroner would not confirm.
Then Natalie went to the riverbed and found evidence that the investigators evidently missed; Aisha’s backpack, a tooth, and her eyeglasses.
She notified LASD detectives but they did not ask for the items.
Undaunted, Natalie once again travelled down to the riverbed area and noticed cameras mounted on a nearby Tamale Bakery and a Car Wash, both cameras had a clear view of the area where Aisha was found.
She went into the Tamalaria La Doña, asked for the owner, and then asked for a copy of the video from the camera where information is held for thirty days; the owner declined to give Natalie the video.
The car wash was self-serve so there was no one to contact.
After her run-in with La Doña owner, Natalie told the investigators about the tapes, according to sources the Sheriffs have not taken action; the tapes will be erased on April 28.
Finally a video from a cell phone has surfaced taken by a person on their daily walk the day Aisha died. Sources are telling HMG-CN that the video shows the coroner and others investigating the crime scene with Aisha’s body there.
Presumably the investigators had not moved the body so they would not alter or contaminate the crime scene.
According to the source, the video shows the body was under the bridge, completely inconsistent with the suicide report by the investigators.
“I want to believe and trust that the authorities are investigating and that they have to do what they have to do to know what happened to my daughter,” she said.
HMG-CN has a call in LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva for comment.
Post a comment on Facebook below.
