An unidentified man was found deceased on March 8 in Little Tokyo‘s Toriumi Plaza, where the Aiso Street Parking Garage is located. He was the apparent victim of a drug overdose.
Paramedics on the scene verified that the man, who it is believed to have been among those living in the encampment on the plaza, was deceased.
The body was discovered around 12 noon when Michael James, commander of the Little Tokyo Business Improvement District bicycle patrol, was flagged down by individuals living in an encampment on First and Judge John Aiso streets.
In 2012, the plaza atop the parking garage was named in honor of the late Rev. Howard Toriumi, pastor of the Union Church of Los Angeles and staunch advocate for Little Tokyo. A homeless encampment began to emerge on the site in September 2020.