Dante Bautista Batimana

Dante Bautista Batimana lived as a small-statured but big-spirited presence among family and the Filipino community connected to Diamond Bar and the Los Angeles area. Public notices and family fundraising pages describe him as an entrepreneur who embraced the possibilities of life in America and who enjoyed vivid stories, outlandish humor, and following the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a father and grandfather — survived, according to family notices, by a son, a daughter and a grandson — and shared his home with two dogs, Cabo and Midnight.

Originally from Imus in Cavite province in the Philippines, Dante’s life bridged communities. News coverage by Filipino and Filipino-American outlets emphasized the family’s appeal to the local Filipino community after his death, showing how he remained connected to his hometown and to fellow Filipinos in Southern California. Friends and family set up a fund to help with funeral and memorial costs after he died, and many members of the community contributed in support.

While public records and news coverage focus on the sudden and violent end to his life, the details that friends and family shared foreground a man who loved life, hosted good parties, and thrived on telling stories. Those personal details—his fondness for lively gatherings, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his devotion to family—paint a picture of a person who mattered in small, everyday ways to those who knew him. He loved his dogs, enjoyed telling stories, and rooted for his favorite basketball team, all small but telling parts of a life woven through ordinary pleasures and relationships.

Dante’s death on January 28, 2019, in Diamond Bar, California, was reported by local and Filipino outlets and investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Even as public records note that his death was ruled a homicide, the memories shared by his family and those who supported the funeral fund emphasize the human life behind that record: a father, grandfather, neighbor and friend whose personality and warmth drew people to him. This remembrance honors those verified parts of his life and acknowledges the sorrow his family expressed while seeking a dignified farewell.

Because public details about Dante’s life are limited in formal obituaries, this brief life story centers the human details available from family statements and community reporting rather than the circumstances of his death. He is remembered by family and community members for his humor, his belief in opportunity, and the everyday roles—parent, grandparent, companion to his dogs—that gave shape to his days.