La Habra : Man Found Stabbed to Death in Schoolyard

The body of a man who was “obviously the victim of foul play” was found in the courtyard of Washington Junior High School early Saturday by a teacher, police said.

Officers were called to the scene at 9:40 a.m. and discovered the body of Adan Ayala, 20, of La Habra, who had been stabbed repeatedly the previous night, Sgt. Phil Stufflebean said. Based on a preliminary investigation, police believe the man was the victim of a robbery-homicide.

“We have reason to believe he was returning home from a local bar late last night, but we don’t know why he ended up at the school, whether that was a convenient route home or not,” said Stufflebean, who added that the police had interviewed the victim’s acquaintances.

Ayala’s personal belongings were missing, Stufflebean said.