Griffith Park Murder Suspect Arrested

LOS ANGELES, CA — A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the stabbing death of another man in Griffith Park in the early morning after the Fourth of July.

Officers responded to the 3200 block of Riverside Drive just after 2:30 a.m. July 5 following a report of a possible stabbing, the Los Angeles Police Department said on Tuesday.

When police arrived, they found Richard Ware, 48, suffering from a stab wound. Paramedics rendered aid and later pronounced Ware dead at the scene, police said.

Officers gathered witness statements and conducted a search of the area nearby, where they found the suspect: 36-year-old Royce Rainey, police said.

"Central Bureau Homicide detectives responded and assumed investigative responsibility and discovered that Rainey and Ware had been involved in a dispute that escalated into a physical altercation, during which Ware was stabbed," reads a police statement.

Rainey was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail, police said.

Police do not believe the incident is connected to gang activity, the Eastsider reported.

That area where the stabbing took place is separated from the main park by Los Feliz Boulevard and includes a recreation center, homeless shelter, senior center and sports facilities.

Later on Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to file a case against Rainey, citing "insufficient evidence."