First Homicide of the Year

The Indianapolis Star broke the story of the city's first homicide of the year. Daniel Baltarza Alejandres died in the hospital after being shot numerous time on the 28th of December. The crime took place near his apartment on the west side (map).

The IPD is still working on the 2004 homicide report, but 2003's is available online. 2003 followed the down trend established after the record-high homicide rates in '96 and '97 -130 homicides in each of those years (which if I remember correctly was on par with Washington D.C.). At the 2003 homicide rate, an Indianapolis resident was murdered every 4.5 days.