$50K Reward Offered For Taxi Driver's Killer In Westlake

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles City Council approved a $50,000 reward Tuesday to help police catch the person, who killed a taxi driver in the Westlake area of Los Angeles in June.

Los Angeles police detectives said they have exhausted their leads and need the public's help

They are trying to piece together what happened in a seven-minute span before the victim's silver Toyota Prius collided with another car at about 8:40 a.m. on June 1.

Bulmaro Guerrero Martinez, 29, had been shot in the upper body when he crashed the Prius at 201 S. Alvarado Street. He died at a hospital.

A security video shows Martinez driving on Alvarado Street and making a turn onto Temple Street about seven minutes before the crash, according to Detective Ray Martinez

"So we have seven minutes where, within a two-block radius, he might have picked up a fare, he might have engaged in some altercation at some point," said the detective, who suspected Martinez might have been trying to drive himself to a hospital.

At that hour, the area is usually filled with cars headed to downtown Los Angeles, so "it's hard to believe that nobody saw anything," the detective added.

The victim worked for an unlicensed taxi company. But he may have also worked independently and picked up work on his own, investigators said.

"He was Christian. He don't drink. He's a good person," said the victim's brother, Santos Martinez.

The victim had two daughters in Mexico, and when they ask about what happened to their father, "my heart (feels) so bad. Please help, help," Santos pleaded.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call homicide detectives at (213) 484-3642 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.