The streets of Long Beach were tainted with violence in two separate incidents, only minutes apart, on the night of January 22, as reported by the Long Beach Police Department. At approximately 6:42 p.m., officers rushed to the 3300 block of De Forest Avenue following a call about an assault with a vehicle that turned out to be a gun-related attack. Four adults found themselves in the line of fire after a dispute spiraled into a shooting, though, by some fortune, none were injured.
The LBPD's preliminary investigation, as reported, revealed that nearby objects took bullets instead of people with evidence such as strike marks, a bullet hole, and a casing. Long Beach's own Edwin Cruz, 37, was arrested at the scene and faces charges including attempted murder, and his bail was set at a steep $1,000,000.
Less than half an hour before this incident, at approximately 6:26 p.m., a separate show of lawlessness erupted on the 2200 block of Santa Fe Avenue. A home invasion turned into a standoff when the burglar, after pointing a gun at the victims, dashed into another dwelling, barricaded himself within, and stubbornly refused to surrender. This prompted an intervention by SWAT, though it took hours and tear gas for the situation to resolve.
The unnamed suspect, also a man, was not so easily apprehended, according to the LBPD blotter. When tear gas failed to root him out, officers deployed a 40mm less-lethal round and a K9. The suspect, eventually nabbed by the police, received medical attention before his eventual booking.
