George Alongi Homicide Investigation Remains Open

During a recent countywide candlelight vigil called to remember victims of violent crime, former Lake Elsinore City Councilman George Alongi’s name was read off. The April 24 vigil in Temecula was organized by Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach’s office, and was one of three held across the county.

Alongi’s name on the list may leave some unanswered questions, but there are some facts that have been confirmed.

On the evening of Feb. 15, Alongi, 77, was found dead at his Dolly Way home in Lake Elsinore.

No arrests have been made in the case, confirmed Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Captain Shelley Kennedy-Smith on April 23. As of that date, the captain assured no charges have been filed in the case and she dismissed any rumors of arrests.

The sheriff’s department has never indicated they were looking a suspect. In cases where a suspect is being sought, police often turn to the public for help by distributing a name and/or description.

To date, there has been nothing.

The captain said that while a homicide investigation remains open in the Alongi case, there is no reason residents should be concerned about a killer on the loose.

“Absolutely not,” she said with very firm conviction.

Because the investigation is ongoing, Kennedy-Smith would not provide details on any possible suspects and she would not confirm whether the case could possibly turn out to be something other than foul play.

It is not uncommon for police to remain quiet on a case in an effort to prevent jeopardizing the investigation.

The day following the discovery of Alongi, sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Buompensiero reported that the former city councilman was found with “traumatic injury to his body” and his death was ruled “suspicious.”

The sergeant did not disclose who discovered Alongi or how long he had been dead, and he declined to speculate on a cause of death.

Captain Kennedy-Smith characterized the Alongi finding as “an unattended death,” which generally means the victim was home alone at the time of discovery.

As a matter of department protocol, any death -- unattended or not -- that is deemed suspicious is turned over to homicide investigators, the captain said.

On April 29, a sergeant with the Riverside County Coroner's Office said a cause of death in the Alongi case is still being withheld pending the homicide investigation.

John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County DA’s office, said the recent candlelight vigils are open to all and sometimes loved ones approach the office and ask for a name to be placed on the list. At press time, Hall could not confirm whether that was the case with Alongi’s name.