Long Beach
Police Department

Updated Release Published 6/20/23

Through their ongoing investigation, Homicide detectives identified the third and final suspect responsible for the April 12, 2023 murder of Luis Fernando Polita. Detectives secured an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified as Gael Cruz-Gonzalez, a 21-year-old resident from the City of Compton.

On June 18, 2023, Cruz-Gonzalez was detained by US Customs and Border Patrol agents at LAX Airport as he was attempting to fly to Mexico. US Customs and Border Patrol contacted the Long Beach Police Department and officers responded to take custody of Cruz-Gonzalez. Officers transported Cruz-Gonzalez to Long Beach City Jail, where he was booked for his arrest warrant and held on a $2,030,000 bail.

Updated Release Published 4/15/23

On April 14, 2023, detectives from the Special Investigations Division located and arrested Akili Collins, an 18-year-old resident of Long Beach, and Melake Daniel, a 19-year-old resident of Long Beach, for the April 12, 2023 murder.

Detectives located Collins and Daniel in Long Beach near the 900 block of East Broadway and subsequently took them into custody. Collins was booked for one count of murder and his bail was set at $2,000,000; Daniel was booked for one count of accessory after the fact and his bail was set at $1,000,000.

The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration early next week.

Detectives are still actively working to determine the motive, however, the preliminary investigation suggests the incident unfolded as the result of a dispute that originated on the Metro Rail.

The victim has been identified as Luis Fernando Polita, a 25-year-old resident of the City of Los Angeles. 

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Homicide Detectives Donald Collier or Chasen Contreras at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through "LA Crime Stoppers" by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the "P3 Tips" app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org

 Original Release 

On April 12, 2023, at approximately 3:40 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of East 1st Street regarding a report of a stabbing which, resulted in the death of a male adult.

Upon arrival, officers located a male adult victim on board the Los Angeles Metro Rail suffering from multiple stab wounds to his upper body. Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and removed the victim from the Metro Rail to render medical aid, before transporting the victim to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Homicide Detectives responded to the scene to investigate the incident. Through their preliminary investigation, detectives determined that the victim boarded the Metro Rail outside the City of Long Beach. Sometime after the Metro Rail entered Long Beach, three unknown male suspects boarded, immediately approached the victim, and began physically assaulting him. During the assault, one of the suspects produced a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times which ultimately resulted in the victim’s death. When the Metro Rail came to a stop at the Metro station near 1st Street and Pine Avenue, the suspects exited and fled the scene on foot prior to officer’s arrival.

At this time, the victim is only being described as a male adult in his approximate 20s. His identification and notification to the next of kin will be conducted by The Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office.

The investigation to determine the motive for the stabbing remains under investigation, however, the incident does not appear to be random.

Detectives are currently looking for additional witnesses to the incident and for any existing cell phone video evidence showing the suspect(s). Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Homicide Detectives Donald Collier or Chasen Contreras at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through "LA Crime Stoppers" by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the "P3 Tips" app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org