Deadly setback for Hollywood

Murder of tourist taints glitz

LOS ANGELES— The corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue offers a picture postcard view of the new, revitalized Tinseltown.

The boulevard is jammed with tourists. Street performers dressed in colorful costumes entertain and panhandle on the sidewalk in front of chain stores such as Forever 21, Sephora, the Hard Rock Cafe and Express. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel films his late-night show across the street.

But last week, Hollywood got a stark reminder that for all the upscale development and trendy venues, the district hasn’t fully shaken off its darker past.

On Tuesday, in front of the American Eagle clothing store, a 23-yearold woman was fatally stabbed.

Police arrested a transient who had allegedly demanded $1 from her after she took his photo.

The death of Christine Calderon left the Hollywood tourist district stunned and prompted Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti to call for increased patrols, including by horse-mounted units.

We “don’t want to lose any of the ground that’s been gained in Hollywood,” Beck said. “What we don’t want is for this tragedy to go unrecognized.”

Hollywood’s transformation over the last decade or so has been dra- matic.

The once- glamorous district had been in steep decline for decades, bottoming out in the 1990s when crime reached new highs and many of the old theaters that once dominated the boulevard closed down.

The Hollywood & Highland complex where Calderon was found fatally wounded — an imposing shopping center that includes the theater where the Oscars take place each year — was the first of several mega-developments that transformed the area.

Noone disputes that Hollywood has changed for the better.

But those who live and work in the area said there are gritty remnants, and crime remains a daily occurrence in Hollywood, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis.