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By Steve Propes

Friday, December 22

6100 block of Atlantic Ave. At 6:40 p.m., two groups of men were fighting, a shot rang out, the combatants departed. Later, a man with non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the lower body and an uncooperative attitude about how, when, where and why showed up at a hospital.

1335 Pacific Ave. A good portion of the Long Beach Rescue Mission’s organization’s Lydia House shelter was charred by a mysterious fire possibly caused by lights on the Christmas tree catching fire. It was later determined the lights had not been turned on. Four days after the blaze, Levine and his staff reviewed security camera video from that night and watched as a Lydia House 45-year-old female resident intentionally set the fire. She was later arrested.

Saturday, December 23

Cedar Ave. and 25th St. When Beth Quintana walked from her apartment to her car on her way to work, just after 4 a.m., she was hit her on the head from behind by a man on a bike. He went for her purse, she fought back, he pulled a knife, she pulled it from him as it cut her several times. She was taken to a hospital with broken bones, a slashed finger and deep bruising on her eyes

200 block of West Wardlow Rd. At 5:40 p.m., a carjacking of a FleetGenius box truck 1200 block of Beach Boulevard began a 30-minute police pursuit that involved hitting a sign, a light pole, several cars, including at least one black and white before Jack Daniel Rios, 50, of Garden Grove had a 20 second interlude with a K-9 officer the hard way after crashing into a parked car in front of an assisted living home in Long Beach.

Sunday, December 24

Willow St. and Atlantic Ave. At 9:31 p.m., a man was approached by a group of argumentative males who engaged in a brief verbal altercation, a stabbing causing superficial wounds.

Monday, December 25

Paramount Blvd. and 68th St. At 9:04 p.m., a man approached a walking man, an argument, the second man discharging a firearm but failing to hit the victim. Officers located the nearby suspect who was taken to city jail for booking. No injuries reported.

5000 block of Rose Ave. At 10:30 p.m., a person reeled off some shots leaving the tell-all bullet casings, but hitting no one or anything. With no injuries, possible practice shots for the new year.

Thursday, December 28

3400 block of Adriatic Ave. At 2:38 p.m., officers responding to a domestic dispute saw smoke and fire coming from the residence. When the fire department extinguished the fire, officers believed the suspect was possibly barricaded in the residence and established a perimeter. SWAT was activated, nearby residents evacuated and/or sheltered in place. At midnight, after obtaining a search warrant, officers located 39-year-old Chase Phillip Powell deceased inside the residence with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and a deceased 5-year-old child, a possible murder-suicide.

Friday, December 29

25th St. and Daisy Ave. Two cars collided, hitting a pedestrian and a light pole at 9 a.m. A female driver supposedly left the scene on foot, then was found and detained.

Saturday, December 30

6th St. and Linden Ave. At 5:58 p.m., the unknown shooter shot again; evidence like bullet casings was found, but with no injuries, no motive and a paucity of witnesses, the follow-up might well be problematic.

Harding & Orange Ave. At 11 p.m., various motor vehicles gathered for the traditional donut doings, also at Atlantic and Artesia, then at Atlantic Pl. and 72nd, where a witness said “I have seen an accident happen in front of my house cause of this.” Next, at “Atlantic and Harding, over a hundred cars fled by Harding when the sirens were nearing the takeover.” Another witness “Saw two patrol cars at, you guessed it, the donut shop.” Picking up on the lingo, “They call that kind of action glazed donuts.”

Sunday, December 31

700 block of West Pacific Coast Hwy. At 4:25 a.m., a pedestrian was hit and killed while crossing the highway in the eastbound lanes between Daisy and Maine avenues. The 49-year-old driver from Long Beach remained at the scene and was not arrested.

Broadway near Granada Ave. At 8:50 a.m., as a motorist speeding to his caretaker job in Seal Beach avoided a collision with a van full of nuns turning directly in front of him. Breaking to avoid a collision, he muttered “I’ll have none of that.”

405 and the 710 Freeways. At 9:30 a.m., came a damp weather brush fire at this key interchange.

Monday, January 1

1500 block of Summit Ave. Starting the new year off with a bang, at 12:04 a.m., gunshots welcomed the new year, 2024.

Long Beach. Starting the new year off with a jolt, a 4.1 earthquake struck about 16 miles south at 8:27 a.m., the shaking and rude awakening experienced especially south of Pacific Coast Highway, not so much north for those sleeping off last night’s partying.

3000 block of Coolidge Ave. An 8 p.m., argument followed by shooting of a man with non-life-threatening wounds to the upper and lower body.

Category:

Beachcomber

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