GOOD DEED GONE BAD 'NO LOGIC' IN KILLING OF FATHER WHO BATTLED GRAFFITI TAGGERS.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Staff Writer

PACOIMA - Passionate about keeping his neighborhood clean and crime-free, Liborio Cesareo spent hours painting over graffiti on his brick wall.

It may have cost him his life, police said Monday.

After celebrating Easter with his family, the 56-year-old father of seven went out to move his car about 10:30 p.m. for street sweeping. Exactly what happened next is unclear, but neighbors said they heard as many as five gunshots, saw Cesareo on the ground and fresh graffiti on his wall.

They said they also saw a late-model black Mustang and another car speed away, but not before the cars drove down a cul-de-sac and had to turn around to flee.

``It's a blow. They didn't even care that it was an older man,'' said a visibly upset neighbor, who said she did not want to be identified because she feared for her safety.

``They weren't from around here,'' said the woman as she placed a candle at a curbside memorial.

Investigators said Cesareo was hit by one bullet in front of his home at the corner of Desmond Street and El Dorado Avenue. Detectives are investigating whether Cesareo's battle with graffiti vandals played a role in his death.

``We're looking for witnesses to verify that,'' said LAPD Capt. Ron Seban of the Foothill Division. ``We're appealing for help from the public.''

``We know this was an ordinary man. We're soliciting any information at all,'' he said.

Police asked anyone with information to contact Foothill Division detectives at [phone] or [phone].

Cesareo's wife, four daughters and three sons struggled Monday with their grief and tried to understand why anyone would want to shoot him in front of the home where he had lived for more than a decade.

``My father taught us many things. He always did his best. There's no logic in this,'' said one of Cesareo's sons, who declined to identify himself.

This Easter was especially important for Cesareo because he had just witnessed his 13-year-old son's confirmation at church, Santiago said.

Candles, an Easter lily, daisies and a cross were placed at the edge of his driveway, where he fell and died.

Neighbors said the one word sprayed on the 6-foot-high wall was fresh graffiti that they had not seen the day before.

``He's always painting his wall. I think he got tired of it,'' said one neighbor, Steven Arreola. ``I hope they get those dudes. It is not fair. He was a good man. I don't know why they killed him.''

Neighbors said Cesareo had worked salvaging wood and reselling it in Los Angeles and Mexico, but police said he was recently unemployed. While home, he had become a mentor for youths in the neighborhood.

Neighbors said Cesareo tried to be helpful to everyone, and urged young people he met to go to school and lead good lives.

At least five neighbors said they heard gunshots and ran to their windows.

Neighbors said that in recent months, their neighborhood had been relatively crime-free, although there have been fatal shootings there in the past.

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Photo: (color) A makeshift memorial stands near the wall Liborio Cesareo worked to keep clean of graffiti. Police suspect his slaying may be tied to his stand against taggers.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer