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Steve Propes

Thursday, August 23

1600 block of East Anaheim Street. At 1 p.m., a 14-year-old boy walked up to a fire station to report he had been shot. Firefighters responded to a 15-year-old boy who was shot about a block from the fire station. Police said they were walking down the street when a gunman opened fire and fled. Their injuries were non-life threatening. The incident is being investigated as possibly gang-related.

Saturday, August 25

Seventh Street and Locust Avenue. At 6 p.m., police set up a checkpoint at a location for “the greatest opportunity for achieving drug and drunk driving deterrence,” in this case, a one-way street out of town. With all this deterrence, no DUI arrests were made, but police did arrest one person for an “unrelated warrant,” cited three drivers for operating a vehicle with a suspended/revoked license, one driver who didn’t even have a license and three more for “unsafe driving,” a description of which was not provided.

Sunday, August 26

900 block of Gaviota Avenue. At 7:47 a.m., police responded to a battery call, which quickly turned into a barricade situation with SWAT being called in at 8 a.m. Police made attempts to call the man out via PA announcement, received no response, so five to eight nearby buildings were evacuated. With help from a K9 unit, shortly after 2 p.m., the suspect was arrested for battery and pointing a gun at police, something definitely to avoid. Police said the battery involved the suspect’s father, who received non-life threatening injuries and the suspect’s brother, whose injuries were minor.

Thursday, August 30

5300 block of Long Beach Blvd. At 10 a.m., a man was shot on the street, then went into a business to notify the police, who responded. Nothing further to note.

Orizaba Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. At 3 p.m., officers witnessed a robbery, but when “officers attempted to detain the suspect he began to run from the scene,” said the police. As his getaway route included Herrera Elementary School, a school lock down was initiated, but the cops found the bad guy and a gun, meaning the lock down was cancelled and the suspect taken away.

Friday, August 31

1600 block of E. First Street. At 4 a.m., a shooting occurred, but gang detectives and other police found only evidence, but no shooter, no victim, even the supposed residence where it happened was empty. The mystery persists.

Los Coyotes Diagonal and Bellflower Boulevard. At 3:10 p.m., a three-vehicle collision shut down the intersection with one party sustaining minor injuries and treated at the scene by paramedics

Tuesday, September 4

Walnut Avenue and Hill Street. At 9 p.m., a patrol officer found a vehicle with a 40-year-old man and a male juvenile inside. When police spoke with the man, identified as Pedro Rodriguez-Mejia, he and the victim, both “appeared nervous,” which led to further investigation. Rodriguez-Mejia was arrested for kidnapping his neighbor boy in at the 1400 block of Walnut Avenue in Long Beach that very evening and was booked for kidnapping and lewd acts with a child, held on $100,000 bail.

Wednesday, September 5

Carson Street at Bellflower Boulevard. At 2:45 p.m., a multi-car accident involving several sedans and SUVs began in the westbound left turn bay of Carson Street. A gray sedan, which came to rest in the center divider, apparently had pushed a black SUV into another SUV with several vehicles also hit, completely blocking all westbound lanes. Cars caught in the mess had to turn into the CVS/Citibank parking lot to continue on. At least a half dozen police and sheriff vehicles responded with several rescue vehicles called for a male laying on the street near the black SUV. With all but southbound Bellflower blocked, through traffic took to nearby residential routes in significant quantity.

Saturday, September 8

500 block of Rhea Street. At 2 a.m., 39-year-old Robert Darel Moore of Long Beach was found shot to death in the upper torso on a sidewalk in front of a home.

Market Street and Orange Avenue. At 11 p.m., officers responded to a hit and run call and determined the victim, 40-year-old Victor Salvador Herrera of Long Beach, a pedestrian, had argued with the male driver of a red sedan, then was run over in the center median by the red car. The suspect fled westbound on Market Street. Herrera was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. Shortly thereafter, near Temple Avenue and Willow Street, officers attempted a DUI traffic stop. When the vehicle collided with a parked car at 10th Street and Obispo Avenue, the suspect, 29-year-old Sokhorn Hor of Long Beach was arrested. Investigation determined his was the same vehicle involved in the hit and run, so Hor was booked for murder at the Long Beach City Jail on $2 million bail.

steve@beachcomber.news

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