On November 12, 2023, in Laguna Beach, California, a 27-year-old restaurant worker was found brutally beaten to death in an alleyway behind a popular movie theater near Carmelita’s Restaurant, where she worked as an assistant manager.
The incident prompted a comprehensive homicide investigation as authorities strive to piece together the events leading to the untimely death of the victim, Tatum Lee Goodwin.
Her body was discovered by a construction worker near the 200 block of Ocean Avenue around 8:20 a.m. The scene, marked by evident signs of violence, was deemed suspicious by Laguna Beach detectives, prompting an immediate investigation.
Goodwin had been out with friends the night before her body was discovered, visiting Hennessey’s Tavern and the Marine Room, both in close proximity to where her body was found. The “night out” followed her shift at Carmelita’s Restaurant. Goodwin had recently ended a relationship with her boyfriend, and there were reports of her leaving the Marine Room late in the evening, visibly upset. A resident in the area reported hearing screams around 2 a.m.
Goodwin’s phone was reportedly still active even after her death, pinging nearby cell towers. Law enforcement officials were observed scouring the area around the Marine Room, one of Goodwin’s last known locations.
The owner of Carmelita’s has set up a GoFundMe page to aid in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Laguna Beach Detective Tanner Flagstad.