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Steve Propes

Monday, June 11

2700 block of Long Beach Boulevard, At 4 a.m., a 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 crashed into a parked 1993 Ford Escort LX station wagon in which a 70-year-old Los Angeles man was sleeping, sending both vehicles into a store front and killing Francis O’Brien, who according to the Coroner’s office, had been living in the vehicle. The woman driver of the Mercedes, from Long Beach, was unharmed, but did not have a valid driver’s license, but did provide proof of insurance. Police do not believe drugs or alcohol were involved.

2100 block of Bellflower. A man grabbed an amount of jewelry and split from a store at 8:30 p.m., no direction known, a complete unknown, like a rolling precious stone.

Tuesday, June 12

5300 E. Second Street. At 5:15 a.m., a fire broke out at the Dogz Bar and Grill, gutting the restaurant weeks before it was slated to reopen. The blaze took about 45 minutes to extinguish. A firefighter sustained second degree burns to both hands.

Thursday, June 14

Studebaker Road south of the 405 Freeway. At 4 p.m., a five car accident caused the need of a medical response for at least one of the drivers involved.

Friday, June 15

Artesia Boulevard and Butler Avenue. At 6:20 a.m., a passerby reported a possible kidnapping when a man grabbed a teenage girl by her waist and put her into the front seat of a van. When police located the driver of the van, they concluded no crime occurred other than a possible prostitution case. Police did not locate the woman.

Saturday, June 16

Naples and East Long Beach. Two juvenile suspects, both 14 years of age were arrested regarding to the fire at Dogz and taken into custody and were booked in to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

Monday, June 18

Wardlow Road and Magnolia Avenue. At 8:50 p.m., a woman in her 70s crossing Wardlow Road against a red light was struck by a westbound 2001 Toyota Camry in the crosswalk. Police said the 19-year-old driver drove off, but returned and cooperated with investigators. Paramedics took the woman to the hospital where she subsequently died.

Tuesday, June 19

Naples. A third 14-year-old male from Naples Island was arrested in connection with the Dogz fire on June 12 and was booked in to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Information derived from warrants linked the three suspects to the Dogz Bar as well as several other fires in the area, which were determined to be deliberately set between June 12 and June 16.

1700 block of Daisy Avenue. At 2:45 a.m., a homeless man, Felipe Solorio-Nava, 38, was shot to death. At 9:20 a.m., police arrested 29-year-old Carlos Gustavo Ohm at 15th Street and Chestnut Avenue in connection with the death of Solorio-Nava.

Wednesday, June 20

Santa Fe Avenue and 29th Street. At 6:15 a.m., a Prius smashed into a fire hydrant, creating a sinkhole into which sank the wayward Prius. The driver walked away unharmed from the Prius with no other cars or pedestrians involved. The gushing water caused muddy flooding in the neighborhood.

2400 block of E. Fourth Street. An obvious financial wizard made off with a tip jar at 5:30 p.m. Obviously needs the dough more than the hard working employees.

Thursday, June 21

2000 block of San Francisco Avenue. Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the California Department of Justice combined to seize four machine guns, various large capacity magazines, ammunition, a tactical vest and firearm-manufacturing materials from the residence of convicted felon William McMurray, 48. McMurray was found to have made alleged online purchases of Glock Auto Switches used to convert semiautomatic Glock pistols into machine guns.

Ximeno Avenue near Pacific Coast Highway. Three men were rescued by fire fighters on a ladder from the fourth floor of an apartment building at 7 p.m. The third floor fire was out by 7:15 p.m.

Saturday, June 23

Northbound 710 Freeway north of Del Amo Boulevard. Two 30-year-old men were walking in the fast lane of the freeway and were struck by a 2005 Honda Civic at 2:06 a.m. One of the men died. The CHP stated, “Alcohol is being investigated as a factor of this collision.”

Monday, June 25

600 E. Fourth Street. Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Dave Rosa, 45, of Fire Station 10 was fatally shot while responding to reports of an explosion and the smell of gasoline inside the Covenant Manor senior care facility at 3:49 a.m. Thomas Kim, a 77-year-old resident of the building, was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson. Reportedly, Kim targeted a woman in the next floor up and was waiting for her when he allegedly fired his gun, also wounding firefighter Ernesto Torres, 35, and critically wounding another possible resident. Kim is being held on $2 million bail.

steve@beachcomber.news

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