What started as a fight over a parking spot at a North Long Beach condo complex has ended with a 32-year prison term. Roland Barber, 43, was sentenced on Jan. 13 after pleading to charges tied to a 2023 shooting that killed 35-year-old David Nevarez. Prosecutors say the argument began in the condo parking area and quickly escalated into gunfire. The punishment caps months of courtroom battles that included a murder mistrial and, eventually, plea negotiations.
According to the Press-Telegram, Barber pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, and Judge James D. Otto imposed the 32-year sentence in Long Beach Superior Court. Prosecutors pushed for an aggravated term, pointing to firearm-use enhancements and Barber’s criminal history. Defense attorney Ludlow Creary argued for a shorter sentence, telling the court the clash involved provocation and conflicting accounts about who fired first.
As detailed by the Long Beach Post, the shooting unfolded on the night of June 16, 2023, at the Pacifica Cove condominiums on the 5500 block of Ackerfield Avenue. Court documents and surveillance reviewed by investigators show Nevarez and others arriving for a gathering and arguing with Barber over a parking space. Neighbors described Barber as wearing a mask and using a cane before the shots were fired. Detectives later recovered a handgun inside Barber’s apartment as part of the investigation.
The Press-Telegram reports Barber fled the scene after the killing and was driven away by a friend. About two weeks later, prosecutors say, he was ambushed and shot at by a man identified as Isaac Garcia. Garcia later pleaded no contest to attempted murder and received a 14-year state prison term, the outlet reported. Prosecutors told jurors that Barber then retrieved a handgun and fired rounds into a neighboring unit during that confrontation.
Trial Stumbles And Plea Deal
A mistrial on the second-degree murder charge, the result of an 11-1 jury split in June 2025, became a major turning point that pushed both sides back to the bargaining table, the Long Beach Post reported. Prosecutors relied on surveillance footage, witness statements, and cellphone data to build their case, while the defense hammered away at claims of provocation and uncertainty over who fired first. In the end, Barber accepted a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter to resolve the case.
Neighbors And Background
Neighbors told investigators Barber had grown increasingly upset about vehicles blocking his assigned parking spaces, and court filings presented at trial cited prior run-ins tied to similar disputes. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Barber’s wife and an uncle helped him evade arrest the night of the shooting. Residents say the episode has left the complex on edge and served as a grim reminder of how an everyday argument can turn deadly.
Legal Notes
Barber’s no-contest plea to voluntary manslaughter, along with weapons-related findings, exposed him to a lengthy state prison term. Alleged firearm-use enhancements and his prior felony history were cited by prosecutors, and court records indicate those factors helped shape the judge’s decision to impose the 32-year sentence.
The Long Beach Superior Court docket reflects the plea and punishment, closing a case that began on a summer night three years ago but has continued to resonate in the neighborhood. Public records will show whether any appeals or other post-conviction filings follow.
