(L.A.) Haneul Choi, 26, Died on a Sidewalk

Case Number: 2023-10641

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 26-year-old Asian male that occurred on a sidewalk in Koreatown.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as Haneul Choi.

Height: 5 feet 6 inches. Weight: 130 pounds

Incident Location: 689 South Catalina Street

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Effects of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

RIP HANEUL CHOI (May 3, 1997 – August 13, 2023)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Sunday at 8:25 p.m.

Ruling by the deputy medical examiner was published on November 10, presumably after the results of tox screening came back positive for the drugs.

The decedent’s name is Korean. 최하늘

A detailed report by the government investigator and medical examiner on this case may be purchased from L.A. County for 67 dollars. This includes field notes on the circumstances of the death.

me.lacounty.gov/purchase-case-documents/?caseNumber=2023-10641

To confirm case details provided on this page, call the county’s Records section at (323) 343-0714.

The Beverly Hills Police Department has an arrest record for a young man named Haneul Choi. He was booked on January 18, 2018, for 273D – Corporal Injury To a Child.

A citizen’s arrest of Haneul Choi was made on February 1, 2023.

Santa Monica Police also arrested Haneul Choi on May 17, 2023, for a felony.

* In 2024, the City Controller of L.A. characterized the decedent as homeless / unhoused.