Christine Calderon, 23, was stabbed to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
Detectives say Calderon was walking in the area with a friend when they saw three men who were holding signs and panhandling. The victim and her friend took photos of the men with their cellphones.
According to investigators, the suspects asked for a dollar, but Calderon refused to give it to them. Investigators say that lead to an argument, and soon after, the suspects attacked and stabbed the victim in the torso.
Calderon's mother, Yolonde Tassin, says she just cannot come to grips with the vicious death of her daughter.
"I just can't believe it," Tassin said. "Christine was a good girl. She was my baby. I spent a lot of years with her. She used to sleep in my room."
Charges have been filed against the three suspects, who were arrested near the crime scene shortly after the attack. Dustin Kinnear, 26, who allegedly stabbed the victim, was charged with murder. The two other suspects, 33-year-old Jason Wolstone and 34-year-old Brian Widdows, face assault and accessory charges.
Tassin says she is disabled and her daughter provided her in-home health care.
"I can still her every time my alarm goes off," said Tassin. "I can hear her call me, 'Mommy, take your medicine.'"
Other visitors to Hollywood say they have had similar encounters with people who ask for money.
"That's what they tried to do with one of our girls. We just passed them a buck and said leave us alone," said Gerri Gombio, who's visiting from Hawaii.
Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles mayor-elect, says he plans to increase security along Hollywood Boulevard.
"These incidents may happen, but this one just horrified us at our core. We will not let this stand. We're going to make sure that there's police resources there, not just in the coming weeks, but for a longer period of time to reassure both locals and visitors," said Garcetti.
The three suspects were scheduled to make their first court appearance Thursday afternoon, but their arraignment was continued until 8:30 a.m. Friday. Prosecutors said they planned to ask that bail be set at $1 million for Kinnear and $500,000 each for Wolstone and Widdows.
