Video captures murder of man dressed in drag, passersby by not stopping

FRESNO, Calif. -- A man, who friends say was dressed in drag, was murdered on camera. Then video shows several motorists and a bicyclist, who passed the victim lying on the ground after the attack, did nothing.

Police identified Imer Alvarado as the victim of the murder. One surveillance camera captured the entire crime, and now a neighbor says more could have been done to save Alvarado's life.

Around 3 a.m. in the flash of a frame, surveillance footage shows a brief fight, then a murder. Fresno police say Alvarado was an innocent victim left to die.

"It's not right. It's a death. He's dead," said Baltazar Mendoza, neighbor.

Mendoza lives across the street from where Alvarado was killed near Belmont and Fourth Street. The Vietnam veteran says he didn't hear any gunshots, and Fresno police say no one called 911.

In the video, Alvarado lay motionless for several minutes. Several cars even passed by. But Mendoza said he was most struck when a bicyclist circles the area, then leaves.

After police showed up, Alvarado was taken to the hospital, where he died.

Initially, police described Alvarado as transgender, and possibly the victim of a hate crime. At a vigil, members of the LGBTQ community say, to them, it doesn't matter.

"The people that we've been talking to have said that they weren't transgender that they were from the drag community," said Jess Fitzpatrick, Trans-E-Motion co-chair. "I don't care what their gender preferences were. It's clear that they are from the LGBTQ community, but it was a human being's life that was lost."

Police say they're looking for one man.

Alvarado's close friend said he was in drag when he was killed, but was not transgender. It's still unclear if the suspect could be charged with a hate crime in addition to the murder.