Sleepy Lagoon Trial, Los Angeles, Calif., 1942-1943

The Sleepy Lagoon murder was the 1942 death of José Gallardo Díaz, a young Mexican-American man who was found dying near a reservoir in Commerce, California, on August 2, 1942. The name Sleepy Lagoon murder was used by the Los Angeles newspapers to describe it. The case became a flashpoint for racial tension and injustice in Los Angeles. Sleepy Lagoon was a reservoir beside the Los Angeles River, located in the city of Maywood - approximately what is now 5400 Lindbergh Lane in Bell, though some sources cite the location as 5500 Slauson Avenue. Popular among Mexican-Americans in the early 1940s, the reservoir got its name from the popular song "Sleepy Lagoon" recorded in 1942 by big band leader and trumpeter Harry James. On the night of the incident, Díaz was attending a party hosted for Eleanor Delgadillo Coronado. After the party, Díaz left with two friends, Luis "Cito" Vargas and Andrew Torres. Shortly after, he was confronted by a group of young men from the 38th Street neighborhood, who came to the party seeking revenge for an earlier beating of some of their friends. Díaz was later found gravely injured and transported by ambulance to Los Angeles County General Hospital. He died shortly afterwards without regaining consciousness. The hospital's autopsy showed that he was inebriated from the party and suffered a fracture at the base of his skull, possibly caused by repeated falls or an automobile accident. The exact cause of Díaz's death remains a subject of dispute. Another report said he was stabbed. However, the LAPD was quick to arrest seventeen Mexican-American youths – Jack Melendez, Victor Thompson, Angel Padilla, John Y. Matuz, Ysmael Parra (Smiles), Henry Leyvas, Gus Zamora, Manuel Reyes, Robert Telles, Manuel Delgado, Jose Ruiz (Chepe), Victor Segobia, and Henry Ynostroza – on charges of murder. The evidence was insufficient, yet the young men were held in jail without bail, which made the case highly publicized. The trial ended on January 13, 1943, under the supervision of Judge Charles W. Fricke. Twelve of the defendants were convicted of second-degree murder and incarcerated at San Quentin Prison. The others received lesser charges and were incarcerated in the Los Angeles County Jail. However, the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1944. The case became a symbol of racial tensions in Los Angeles and was seen as a precursor to the Zoot Suit Riots later in 1943.