The violent altercation happened around 4:30 p.m. Monday outside a strip mall at Prairie Avenue and El Segundo Boulevard.
According to Jenni Chavez, a store employee, the victim -- identified as 53-year-old Eddy Nwanyanwu from Nigeria -- drove in and another person then tried to get the same parking spot. That's when the two started arguing.
"The taxi driver was actually parked right there, and it was just like loud noises. And then there was a lady just screaming across," said Chavez. "Definitely parking spaces, because there is no other reason why someone would do that. There are always fights breaking out in the parking lot because of parking spaces."
Investigators say after the argument, Nwanyanwu went into the Hawthorne Quick Checks store.
"The victim goes into one of the businesses. As he comes out, a male black adult assaults him. The victim goes down to the ground. He's transported to a local hospital, where he is pronounced dead," said Lt. Holly Francisco with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Michael Calin, the owner of the Bell Cab Company, says Nwanyanwu had worked for him for more than a decade. He was no longer working for the company, but Calin remembers him as a good employee.
"He was a good hard-working man, big heart, never created any problems," said Calin.
Calin said Nwanyanwu went to the check cashing store every month to wire money to his family in Nigeria.
Store owners at the strip mall say the entire incident was caught on surveillance video. Detectives are hoping it will provide clues as they try to find the unidentified man and woman.
Anyone with information was asked to call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
