Midweek Safety Update: Crime Up Significantly

This is an early entry into the crime updates. There is increased activity between Walnut and Rose south of 14th Street. The loitering at 1335 Walnut and homeless encampment at Walnut and Anaheim is increased. This coincides with car thefts, assaults and robberies. Please be very cautious on Walnut, Gaviota or Rose south of 14th Street.

There are also a lot of incidents along 11th Street from Cherry all the way to Alamitos. This includes a cluster of burglaries along Alamitos and assortment of incidents that trend west starting at Cherry. We will be adding 11th Street to our Tonight's: Community Watch Route. And if we See Something, we will be Saying Something. Also notice that last week we predicted car thefts would start this week along Rotary Centennial Park, and that's exactly what's happening.

A large percentage of the incidents that you see on the map happened on Sunday 08/23/2015, the same day as the shooting on Pine and PCH. Please familiarize yourself with that shooting so the victim is a name instead of a statistic. Neighborhood Expansion has resulted in 17 additional Go Long Beach requests so far.

Safety Alert: Fatal Shooting Sunday: Pine & PCH

One Miles West of Neighborhood Boundaries: Police on Monday investigated the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a 23-year-old man in Long Beach. The man, identified by coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter as 23-year-old Long Beach resident Andre Berero, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

 Anyone with information should contact LBPD Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Mark Bigel Guarino at 562.570.7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1.800.222.tips (8477), texting TIPLA plus your tip to crimes or (274637), or by visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Sunday Safety Update: 08/08/2015 to 08/16/2015

Disclaimer: Please note these maps are meant to show which direction crime is trending, areas to keep an extra eye on and places to remain vigilant in order for Central Long Beach residents to remain safe. That said, previous trends don't guarantee future trends in the same direction.  

Okay there's some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the MacArthur Park Neighborhood was nearly crime free this week.

Th bad news, on Monday I had a text from friends in the AOC7, that there had been a shooting. While this shooting wasn't fatal, it left three people injured and a juvenile in critical condition. It also happened outside a residence well known for criminal activity.

Now if you follow the map Crime Reports gives for the current week you will notice the assaults trend North five days later. There are three assaults at virtually the same street, except further north, just past Anaheim.

---

Attend Next Tuesday's [08/18/2015] Start A Community Watch Meeting

---

Also, look at the vehicle recoveries just outside our neighborhood. Notice that they follow Old Zaferia Way which connects Rotary Centenial Park and Orizaba Park. If past trends repeat, the car thefts will trend up that old street north west towards PCH and around Rotary Centenial Park Again.

You will notice a very similar pattern on the outskirts of our neighborhood three other places. Be aware there are a series of car thefts trending towards the loitering on 17th and Orange. Because there have been two shootings in that area, both fatal, on each side of Orange, be very careful on 17th street. There is also an assault/ property crime that is trending up towards MacArthur Park. Several of the last maps showed multiple assaults in exactly that area, so be very cautious around MacArthur Park, especially the south end.

Also be cautious around Dawson and Anaheim, as a combination of thefts from cars and assaults seems to trend that way. 

Now Onto Some Better News:

Police arrested 26-year-old Long Beach resident Jorge Luis Cruz Saturday. It’s the first arrest of five June murders. On Saturday, officers investigating a vehicle in the 1300 block of Ohio Avenue around 5:50 p.m. recognized the passenger, Cruz, because there was a warrant out for his arrest, according to information the department provided. Cruz fled the scene and police set up a containment zone to try to capture him with the help of helicopters and service dogs.

June’s four other shootings — involving victims Anthony Holston, Ruben Barrera, Alicia Todd and Iran Maese — are still open cases. 

A stabbing which took place on July 4th, has also been solved. A 24-year-old Long Beach man was behind bars on suspicion of fatally stabbing his former roommate during an argument. Norman Mathew Perdon was jailed Friday on suspicion of stabbing 38-year- old Allen Estes of Long Beach on July 4, according to Long Beach police. Estes was found around 5:30 a.m. by police near the intersection of East Anaheim Street and Dawson Avenue. He died at the scene.

North Side Longos Go To Jail

The Long Beach Police Department’s (LBPD) North Patrol Division has arrested 17 members of the North Side Longos gang since this past May, they announced Friday. According to a release, North Patrol Division Directed Enforcement Team (North DET) gathered information linking the gang to a “violent crime spree” earlier this year, and spent the past few months identifying individuals associated with the gang who were responsible for the crimes. 

And The Search For Justice Continues

The Remaining Unsolved Homicide Cases June/ July

17th and Alamitos Area 

The area of 17th street and Orange is an area of persistent loitering. It is the home of Ritchie's Liquor Store, which has in the past defended and encouraged the loitering. Some of those, often more than twenty people a night, hanging out at the intersection do not reside in Central Long Beach. This intersection has been described as "a mess," by almost everyone except the current city council representative for District Six. There have been two shootings on either side of this intersection, one in June and one in July. 

Remember the names Anthony Holston and Tomas Palmas.

Also be aware 17th Street is the darkest street at night of any street in the MacArthur Park Neighborhood. While the city was told about this a month ago, not one tree along 17th has been trimmed. Some like this one, are now falling, blocking the street and in danger of hurting someone.

Virtually Every Light on 17th Street is Obscured

The names and information are shared because these are real people. In the past 90813 has been a zip code famous for unsolved homicides. The more their names are repeated, the less likely their killer is to walk away free. We've gotten two of them, Anthony, Thomas, Alicia and Iran and their families still need justice.

Anthony Holston III, a 20-year-old black man, was shot and killed Friday, June 5, near the intersection of East 17th Street and Alamitos Avenue in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records. I have looked for other information to make Anthony more of a person and less of a statistic, but so far haven't found any yet. East side of the Alamitos and 17th intersection.

Tomas Palmas, a 42-year-old Latino, was shot and killed July 10 in the 1700 block of Cerritos Avenue in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. There is a Facebook Page related to this shooting that will tell you more about Tomas. dedicated to his memory. West side of the Alamitos and 17th intersection.

North of MacArthur Park/ Just South of Signal Hill

Alicia Faith Todd, a 21-year-old black woman, Alicia Faith Todd, was shot and killed Wednesday, June 24, in the 1100 block of East 21st Street in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. Todd was a former Milikan High School Student. From Todd's memorial fund page, "Alicia was an intelligent, strong, vibrant young woman whose life was stolen from her by a random act of gun violence. Our hearts break for a family devastated, for a beautiful girl's life taken way too early, for a mother who has to do the unthinkable and bury her child, and for a broken society that doesn't value human life."

Close To Downtown

Iran Francisco Maese, a 35-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Sunday, June 28, in the 700 block of Linden Avenue in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

Douglas Jerome Wilson, a 37-year-old black man, was shot and killed Monday, June 22, in the 800 block of Chestnut Avenue in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Two down; four to go.... 

Two Words

It's more effective to change your surroundings than to wish someone would change them for you.

Unannounced Sunday Clean Up On Gaviota

I held off cleaning Gaviota. Since it's my street, I thought that may look a little selfish. Anyhow, I don't care to live on a dirty street so every now and then there will be an unannounced street cleaning early Sunday. In the future to find out where those cleanings will be, if they will happen at all, show up early for the scheduled Saturday cleanings to find out where. 

There will be things to give away to MacArthur Park residents, or anyone who pitches in, on those days.

The two pictures show how much trash was on my side of Gaviota, from PCH to 15th street. I am a little surprised actually as I had o go down 3/4ths of the way down the major street Walnut from PCH to Anaheim yesterday to approach that much trash.