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Woodruff Avenue and Los Coyotes Diagonal. At 8 p.m., a truck crashed into the flood control channel fence. Several black and whites and two fire trucks arrived. According to a witness, it “took hours and two tow trucks to extract his pickup from the fence.” No DUI, it was a case of driver exhaustion caused by working 20 hours that day. “He only had a couple minor cuts but he turned out okay.”

1190 Studebaker Road at Anaheim Road. At 1:53 a.m., a 7-11 store on was robbed by four or five males garbed in masks, one armed with a handgun, smoking out the loot, a quantity of cigarettes, only.

1100 block of E. Fourth Street. At 2:15 a.m., residents heard gunfire and called the police, who found a witness who said an adult male had fired a handgun at passing vehicles. Police were unable to find evidence of a shooting or any property or persons struck, so the shooter is “in the wind,” modern jargon for the more classic “he went that-a-way.”

5400 block of E. Second Street. Police investigated a male body floating in Alamitos Bay at 1:22 a.m. near the western bridge leading into Naples.

Viking Way and Village Road. Several dozen visitors in matching club jackets from the far east dropped in on a local water hole at 1 p.m.  Oh, wait, not that type of Mongols. According to a poster on Nextdoor, they were part of a fundraiser for a member who had died. A middle-aged lookout in a prospect jacket stood at the corner as members cavorted in the parking lot. Early in the afternoon, police showed up and allowed their activities to continue.

First Street and the Promenade. At 2:55 p.m., police were called about an object at the Transit Mall and located the device next to a vehicle. Just as the Acura Grand Prix was concluding, the area where many visitors hoping to catch public transportation was instead evacuated. Transit users and residents were told to stay away so the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad could investigate the item, later determined not explosive. When the area was reopened to normal use, Long Beach Police detectives were still searching for clues at 6:30 p.m. One person was detained and questioned by police as part of the investigation, but that individual’s status was unknown.

Southbound 405 Freeway at the Lakewood Boulevard on-ramp. At 7:30 p.m., three people were in a 2018 Tesla, which struck a raised concrete curb, went onto the right shoulder, hitting an unoccupied 2011 Chevrolet. Two of the occupants suffered minor injuries, but 77-year-old Judith Blankenfeld of Hilo was ejected onto the roadway and pronounced dead at the scene.

Anaheim Street near Obispo Avenue. An adult male riding a bicycle was shot and wounded at midnight as he rode on westbound Anaheim. When the victim showed up at a hospital for treatment at 4:40 a.m., police were called in. The victim’s wound was described as superficial as were the clues at the scene.

Carson Street and Clark Avenue. At 6:30 a.m., a police helicopter circled and broadcast “This is the LA County Sheriff’s Department, come out with your hands up. Residents, keep your windows and doors locked,” a Nextdoor poster heard Another resident talked to police blocking a street who said, “don’t pick up any strangers. Check your houses and garages.” A third poster called the sheriff to ask if it is safe to come out. They said, “Yes, they are done.” I asked if they caught them. They said they cannot tell us.” A poster driving on Harvey Way saw “a gray SUV with women standing by while sheriffs searched and pulled out stuff out of the back end.” Then the Nextdoor exchanged evolved into whether the early noise was worth the bother, concluding with the acerbic, “I guess the police shouldn’t do their job in catching criminals ... sleep is more important.”

1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway. A third annual Warrant and Expungement Servicing Event, an effort to address and clear “a multitude of misdemeanor and traffic warrants in the system” will be held. Anyone with outstanding traffic or non-violent misdemeanor warrants issued by LBPD is encouraged to show up and take care of business. “All individuals who qualify will be issued a new citation and court date for their outstanding warrant in order to handle the warrant violation in court.” Past events have caused over 130 individuals to be assisted with LBPD warrants. Those with more serious felony warrants, those involving violence or anyone packing a gun or in possession of drugs should probably rethink showing up … or just show up and find out.

steve@beachcomber.news