The City Council Friday reinstated for the second time a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of an unidentified assailant who gunned down a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power electrical worker in front of his home.
Friday's action came on the two-year anniversary of the death of Akeem "AJ'' Coburn, who was standing in his driveway near South Vermont Avenue and 135th Street in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood on July 29, 2020, when a person approached and shot him, Councilman Joe Buscaino's office said. The suspect might have arrived in a dark-colored sedan.
"Akeem was a gentle giant and was loved by everyone he met,'' said Brandie Harris, Coburn's fiance. "He was a son, father, soon-to-be husband and friend. His life mattered and he is truly missed by all of his family and friends.''
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Buscaino said in a statement Friday that Coburn was "a part of our city family and his death leaves a hole that can never be filled.''
"If you have any information, we are begging you to please come forward, even anonymously, to help us solve this horrific and tragic crime,'' Buscaino added. "Two years later, I have not lost hope that we can find justice for AJ and his family.''
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The council first reinstated the $50,000 reward last August.
People with information about the case are urged to contact South Bureau homicide investigators at 323-786-5111, or during weekends and non-business hours, 1-877-LAPD-24-7.
