Community Scanner

1420 Cherry Ave. A fire in a multi-unit residential building began at 10:50 a.m. The Long Beach Fire Department responded to the call at about 11 a.m. and extinguished it in about 10 minutes. No injuries were reported. Two people were displaced as a result of the fire.

San Gabriel Riverbed and the eastbound 22 Fwy. While assisting L.A. County Public Works Department’s cleanup of homeless camps in the riverbed, at 10:05 a.m., a quality of life officer driving a vehicle in dense foliage ran over the hand of a man concealed in said vegetation, causing an unspecified injury.

6400 block of Stearns Ave. At 6:30 p.m., a fire broke out at a fish and chips kitchen despite blackened fish not found on the menu.

Stearns at Clark at Los Coyotes Diag. Landing at the front steps of the Lady of Our Refuge Church at 4 p.m., a passing motorist noticed a large CalTrans freeway sign, “405 north” with an arrow on the bottom. Several possible explanations: the windy, rainy weather picked up the sign and delivered it tornado-style to the area; vandals doing their thing or perhaps, or both, or just maybe, it’s a newly created shortcut to the nearby 405 Freeway.

2100 block of Cedar Ave. At 10:59 p.m., police discovered evidence, including bullet casings, everything but victims, witnesses, or suspects. Then a woman arrived at a hospital with an upper body not life-threatening gunshot wound that checked the victim box. Gang detectives took an interest.

Seventh St. at Recreation Park. At noon, westbound traffic was slowed when a small section of a dog park tree fell across the sidewalk. Crews closed down the street to dissect the tree for removal, while wet weather pooches panted and wagged in approval.

4500 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. At 4:45 p.m., a man wearing a ski mask and raincoat entered a financial institution, made reference to a weapon to an employee and departed with four figures of greenbacks he stuffed into his self-supplied money bag.

Pacific Coast Hwy. near Pacific Ave. A 7:46 p.m. five car crash shut down the highway from Pacific to Pine Avenue for about an hour, sans injuries or worse.

1200 block of Chestnut Ave. At 8 p.m., two men said they were approached by a shooter in a dark-colored sedan. The shooter, fired, missed, then took a northbound escape route on Chestnut Avenue.

67^th Way near Muriel Ave. At 9:20 p.m., a backyard gunslinger fired shots, broke into a nearby house, attracting a police response. The resident fled. Officers called the suspect outside, arresting Christian Edward Dixon, 41, booked for burglary, willful discharge of a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and other gun-related charges; held without bail.

Atlantic Ave. near Burnett St. At 8:20 a.m. a home caught fire with a man and a child around 3 years old stuck on the second floor. Pulling them from the building, firefighters performed CPR on the child, who’d gone into cardiac arrest. The child and the man were in critical condition at a hospital. Two other adults suffered minor injuries in the blaze and were taken to the hospital. Another person appeared to have

5600 block of E. 23rd St. A Nextdoor poster said, “Our recycle trash can was stolen today off our curb between 12:33 p.m. and 12:36 p.m. Unfortunately, our ring camera did not catch any detail but it was there and then it wasn’t! Who does this?” A helpful poster answered, “saw a guy in front of F&M Bank crossing Bellflower Blvd. pulling a purple recycle bin at 3ish today. Had no shirt on, running in front of cars. Not sure if it was yours.” Further investigation probably won’t help.

Bellflower Blvd. at Del Amo St. At 3:50 p.m., cop choppers pursued a carjacked truck from Chino Hills along the 91 Freeway, the driver of which for hit and run, carjacking and shooting at police. Approaching Long Beach on Woodruff Avenue through a crosswalk with departing Mayfair High students, then through red lights on Bellflower to the 405; Signal Hill to Pacific Coast Highway, gunshots either entering or exiting his windshield and back windows at Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

At 4:15 p.m., the driver, Benjamin Gonzalez, 44, crashed into a traffic sign at Western Avenue in Harbor City, where he was swarmed and hogtied by deputies after he attempted to carjack another truck one more time despite being shot. Taken away with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, he was held on $1 million bail in Riverside, punishment enough. Soon came the message from Long Beach Alert to avoid the Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue area for the next eight hours for police activity. You think?

19th St. and Pasadena Ave. At 9:02 p.m., a shooting into a dwelling alleged, verified by shells and strike marks.

Second St. and Bayshore. At 9:30 p.m., 50 bikers cycled westbound through the heart of Belmont Shore, destination: somewhere, here and there.