Suspect sought in East Palo Alto's second homicide of 2024

Source: San Jose Mercury News
Author: Jason Green

EAST PALO ALTO - Authorities are asking for the public's help in solving the murder of a man Monday morning in East Palo Alto.

Around 11 a.m., a community member flagged down an officer and directed him to an injured man on Newell Road near West Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto police Chief Jeff Liu said in a news release. The officer arrived to find the man dead.

The man was identified as Leonard Clark, 54, of East Palo Alto, according to Liu.

Investigators were unable to immediately determine the cause of Clark's death and if a crime had even occurred.

On Tuesday, the San Mateo County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on Clark and determined his injury was "criminal in nature," Liu said. The chief did not provide any additional details and a spokesperson did not immediately return a message.

Clark's death marks the second homicide of the year in the city, according to Liu.

"The East Palo Alto Police Department needs our community's assistance with this investigation," Liu said in the news release. "We can solve this crime with the assistance and support from our community members."

Mothers Against Murder, a Peninsula-based nonprofit organization, is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Clark's death.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective Salvador Perez at 650-660-2643 or [email protected]. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-409-6792, or email [email protected].