A Los Angeles Job Corps counselor died Wednesday afternoon after being stabbed by a student, officials said.
A makeshift memorial for slain L.A. Job Corps counselor Dwayne Alexander sits outside the Hollywood Studio Club last Thursday. (photo by Josh Premako)
Dwayne Alexander, 49, was allegedly stabbed repeatedly by a 22-year-old student in an office at The Studio Club honor dorm at 1200 N. Lodi Place shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, said Richard French, spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Alexander was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, French said.
The suspect, Freddy Leyva, 22, “was in custody almost immediately,” French said. When police officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly found Leyva being held down by other students and Alexander lying on the floor with stab wounds.
Leyva was booked at the LAPD Hollywood Division on a felony charge and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is investigating.
The L.A. Job Corps Center is administered by the federal Department of Labor and provides career and technical training for 16-24 year olds. Alexander’s death came as a total shock, said Kathy Farrar, business and community liaison for the center. She described the tenor of the dorm as “utter sadness. … We’re moving on as best we can.”
She said nothing remotely close to Wednesday’s attack has ever before happened at the Job Corps site.
Alexander, reportedly a former Capitol/EMI executive, had been a program advisor for about a year and was very well liked by staff and students, she said.
He worked about 25-30 hours per week mentoring students at the dorm, which is home to a little more than 100 students. Farrar described Alexander’s role as similar to a resident advisor, overseeing students, assisting them with things they might need and mentoring them.
“(Staff) said he was a stellar employee,” she said.
In the wake of the stabbing, Farrar said, there has been a crisis intervention counseling provided for both students and staff.
“(Mayor Villaraigosa) has been very supportive,” she said.
Leyva, like all students in the dorm, was an honors student, Farrar said. Students are selected based on their academic performance and behavior, she added. Farrar said a vigil for Alexander is being planned.
4 Comments
I stayed at.this dorm in 82/83. It’s s cool place and I had a great time. But there was always those that brought a certain element of thug mentality to the dorms. But those same people were really smart and got good grades. Could never understand how someone so smart could be so violent. Really sad. My condolences to Mr. Alexander.
I attended Job Corps. Students aren’t sent to Studio Club for “academic performance”. You get sent there after you stay in the downtown dorms for 6 months, or if they don’t want to deal with you. A lot of people in there are former thugs and criminals, and a lot of them try their bed to bring that mentality to the program with them. They’ll put out people who handle their business, but keep the nutjobs, criminals, and thugs. The CSO has a plaque in the wall of his office with weapons he’s confiscated from students over the years.
I was a student there, loved the place wonderful counselor janet epps, i completed there. And so did many more that went through there.. god is hood
I also attended LAJC & resided at the Hollywood Studio Club “honor dorms” from 1996-97. If a student wanted to move from the main dorm in downtown Los Angeles to the Hollywood dorms, they had to stay out of trouble and maintain class attendance for a few months. (As well as maintain this behavior while residing at the honor dorms.)
Please don’t judge all of Job Corps by this isolated incident. There are thousands and thousands of positive outcomes because of Los Angeles Job Corps.
I was 21-23 years old during attendance. Job Corps is one of the very best things that ever happened in my life.
Before attendance, I was unable to afford college while working to support myself.
I lived there for free, free transportation, biweekly stipends, clothing allowances, nursing uniforms, school supplies, meals, & lodging, I joined peer mentoring clubs, served as the president of the women’s floor at Studio Club, gained leadership experience, was encouraged and mentored by amazing staff members, & earned the education required to obtain licensing to become a licensed vocational nurse or LVN.
Having a nursing career has changed my life. Ive had rewarding employment, owned homes and rental property among other accomplishments.
We see in the news, tragic events can happen anywhere. I’m saddened to hear the dorms where I got my start were affected.