Vigil held for elderly woman strangled in Hyde Park

SOUTH LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - A 78-year-old woman in South Los Angeles who authorities initially thought had died from a heart attack turned out to be a homicide victim, and her family is looking for someone to step forward with information about the killer.

A vigil was held Sunday night for Freddie Brandon, a grandmother known lovingly as "Rock Steady Freddie."

Brandon's body was discovered about 4 p.m. March 30 inside her residence in the 5900 block of West Boulevard, south of Slauson Avenue and east of Crenshaw Boulevard, by firefighters, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Tony Im.

It was originally thought that the elderly woman had suffered a heart attack, but an autopsy revealed she was strangled, authorities said.

Police found nothing stolen from the residence, Im said. A motive for the attack was unknown and no suspect information was available, Im said.

The homicide was being investigated by LAPD's South Bureau Homicide detectives, Im said.