Coroner identifies woman found dying on Downtown Long Beach sidewalk

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office on Tuesday released the identity of the woman who was found dying from a gunshot wound in Downtown Long Beach last week.

Nancy Romero, 46, died at the hospital after she was found wounded on the sidewalk. She’d been shot in the back, according to coroner’s records.

Neighbors in the area said they often saw Romero taking walks in the neighborhood. One neighbor left a note on a bouquet of flowers at a small memorial on Magnolia Avenue, near where Romero was found.

“(You were) one of the kindest persons in the whole world, rest in peace,” the note said.

Romero was initially found just before 8 a.m. July 11 about a block from the Long Beach courthouse. Police have not released information on when or where they think she was shot.

Hours later, police and a SWAT team shut down a neighborhood about a block away near Third Street and Daisy Avenue to serve a search related to the killing. Police have not said what evidence prompted them to get the warrant.

Nobody ended up being home where police served the warrant. Police said a day later that Romero knew her shooter, but they did not specify how.

Police declined to answer questions Tuesday other than to say detectives were still investigating.