On March 11, 2021 at approximately 6:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of Stanton Place regarding a shooting victim, which resulted in the death of a male adult.
Upon arrival, officers located a male adult victim suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper torso. Officers performed life-saving measures until Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived on scene and transported the victim to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Through their preliminary investigation, detectives believe the victim was standing near his parked vehicle when a suspect(s) fired gunshots, striking the victim.
At this time, the motive for the shooting is unknown and there is no suspect information. Homicide detectives are actively working to determine the identity of the suspect(s) and to locate witnesses to the shooting.
The victim has been identified as 54-year-old Joel Vargas of Long Beach.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Homicide Detectives Mark Mattia or Juan Carlos Reyes 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 by visiting www.LACrimeStoppers.org.