Police seek suspect in slaying of Little Tokyo hotel owner

Police today sought whoever fatally stabbed the 74-year-old manager of a downtown hotel that is popular with Japanese tourists visiting Little Tokyo.

Hideko Oyama, 74, was found bleeding on the floor of her second-story office in the Chetwood Hotel at 411 E. Fourth St. about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Los Angeles police said.

Lt. Paul Vernon said detectives developed some leads but did not disclose a motive or any clues the killer may have left behind. Oyama had lived at the hotel for the past four years or so.

The Little Toyko area, which is near the Civic Center and police headquarters, is generally considered safe.

"We rarely, if ever, have calls for police at this hotel,'' Vernon said.

The slaying was the first in downtown this year, Vernon said. Five people were killed downtown last year, the lowest number in more than 20 years.

"It is so rare and all the more tragic to find a woman in her 70s murdered,'' Vernon said. "We have very little information to go on, but we hope someone saw or heard something.''

Anyone with more information about the killing was asked to call detectives at (213) 972-1254 during normal office hours or at (877) 527-3247 around the clock.