Long Beach
Police Department

Update Release 9/8/20 at 11:40:

On September 2 – 5, 2020, the Long Beach Police Department arrested 10 individuals in connection to the October 29, 2019 shooting at a residence in the 2700 block of E. 7th Street. The arrested individuals are listed below:

• David Long, 20-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was arrested in Long Beach. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Christopher Williams, 28-years-old and a resident of Redlands, was arrested in Redlands. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Ryan Sim, 18-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was arrested in San Jose. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Kaylin Thik, 21-years-old and a resident of Ontario, was arrested in Ontario. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Derrik Mith, 27-years-old and a resident of Ontario, was arrested in Ontario. He was booked for felon in possession of a firearm and was held on $35,000 bail.
• Joshua Sam, 41-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was arrested in Long Beach. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Grant Johnson, 35-years-old and a resident of Orange, was arrested in Orange. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Dara Chhun, 27-years-old and a resident of Spring Valley, was arrested in Spring Valley. He was booked as an accessory to murder and is being held on $1,000,000 bail.
• Samnang Long, 37-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was arrested in Long Beach. He was booked for felon in possession of a firearm and was held on $35,000 bail.
• Andy Prok, 28-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was arrested in Long Beach. He was booked for carrying a loaded firearm in public and was held on $35,000 bail.

ADDITIONAL ARRESTS
Through investigative interviews, Homicide Detectives discovered suspects Danny Sourn and Jeremy Penh to also be responsible for this murder.

• Danny Sourn, 26-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was already in custody for a 2018 murder. He was booked for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
• Jeremy Penh, 25-years-old and a resident of Long Beach, was already in custody for an unrelated 2020 attempted murder and is being held on $1,000,000 bail.

RECAP OF THE OCTOBER 29, 2019 INCIDENT

On October 29, 2019 at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers responded to a residence on the 2700 block of E. 7th Street regarding reports of a shooting, which resulted in the death of three male adults and nine injured victims.

The deceased victims were identified as:

• Maurice Poe Jr., a 25-year-old resident of the City of Long Beach
• Melvin Williams II, a 35-year-old resident of the City of Gardena
• Ricardo Torres, a 28-year-old resident of the City of Inglewood

Long Beach Detectives, especially Homicide Detectives, worked tirelessly to bring those responsible for this tragedy to justice. Based on their investigation, officers have determined the following:

• On October 29, 2019, eight of the suspects met on the 5700 block of Orange Avenue and traveled 7 miles in a caravan of three vehicles to a residence on the 2700 block of E. 7th Street.
• The suspects arrived and opened fire into the backyard of the residence where a Halloween-themed birthday party was being held.
• There were approximately 25 to 30 party goers present at the time of the shooting.
• The suspects immediately fled the area.
• A total of 12 victims were struck by gunfire; three of those victims sustained immediate fatal wounds and the remaining nine were transported to local hospitals.

POSSIBLE MOTIVE FOR THE SHOOTING

Detectives believe the suspects had pre-planned an attack on what they incorrectly believed to be a rival gang party. However, none of the victims were gang members.

GUNS RECOVERED

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

SEARCH WARRANT LOCATIONS 

• 1700 block of Gaviota Avenue, Long Beach, CA
• 6600 block of Walnut Avenue, Long Beach, CA
• 2700 block of Matthias Court, San Jose, CA
• 1000 block of S Palmetto Avenue, Ontario, CA
• 900 block of Lombard Drive, Redlands, CA
• 4600 block of E. Belgravia Avenue, Fresno, CA
• 300 block of E. Morningside Street, Long Beach, CA
• 15100 block of Orange Avenue, Paramount, CA
• 100 block of N. Grant Place, Orange, CA
• 600 block of Presioca Street, Spring Valley, CA
• 1800 block of E. 11th Street, Long Beach, CA
• 1100 block of Walnut Avenue, Long Beach, CA
• 6000 block of Linden Avenue, Long Beach, CA
• 2550 block of E. Riverside Drive, Ontario, CA
• 5300 block of Orange Avenue, Long Beach, CA

THANK YOU

The LBPD would like to thank our partners at the Los Angeles Federal Bureau of Investigation, Seattle Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego Federal Bureau of Investigation – SWAT, U.S. Marshals Service, Los Angeles IMPACT Taskforce, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Fresno Police Department, Orange Police Department, Modesto Police Department, Garden Grove Police Department, and the San Jose Police Department and their MERGE Unit for their resources and support in the apprehension of various suspects.

Anyone with information is urged to call Homicide Detectives Mark Mattia and Donald Collier at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through "LA Crime Stoppers" by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the "P3 Tips" app to your smartphone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Update Release 7/9/20 at 10:30 a.m:
      

 
Vehicle #1                                           Vehicle#2                                                 Vehicle #3

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Long Beach Police are asking for the public’s help with the murder investigation from October 29, 2019, at a residence in the 2700 block of East 7th Street, where a shooting occurred, and three victims tragically lost their lives, and nine others were injured.

Over the past several months, detectives assigned to the Homicide Detail have been actively following up on leads. Through their investigation, they have identified three possible suspect vehicles. Detectives believe the suspects responsible for this shooting traveled from North Long Beach before making their way to the shooting location.

The vehicles are described as follows:

• Vehicle #1: White, Toyota 4Runner with grey trim, late 1990s.
• Vehicle #2: Silver, Chrysler PT Cruiser, early 2000’s.
• Vehicle #3: White, Toyota Rav4, late 1990-2000’s.

Although their investigation is not complete, and they continue to review video, detectives are releasing three videos in hopes that anyone with information regarding the vehicles or the drivers will come forward.

• Video #1: shows all three vehicles traveling eastbound near the 900 block of 7th Street
• Video #2: shows all three vehicles traveling southbound near the 5400 block of Orange Avenue 
• Video #3: shows all three vehicles at the 2700 block of 7th Street, which is where the shooting occurred
• Video #4: shows all three vehicles at the 3000 block of Orange Avenue 

Detectives continue to consider all possibilities as to why this senseless crime may have occurred. Based on suspect statements heard at the scene and through additional investigation, they believe there is gang involvement amongst the suspects.

The public’s help is still needed to identify the suspects and vehicle license plates. Detectives are hopeful additional witnesses will come forward and provide additional evidence as the investigation continues.

Thanks to a private donor, the City of Long Beach, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, a combined $40,000 in reward money has been made available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) involved in this murder. We urge anyone who may have information regarding this incident to immediately contact the Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detail Detectives Mark Mattia or Donald Collier at (562) 570-7244. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or text TIPLA plus your tip to 274637 (CRIMES), or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Updated Release 10/31/19 at 3:30 p.m.:

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has identified the deceased victims in the October 29th murder investigation from the 2700 block of East 7th Street.
The victims have been identified as:

• Maurice Poe Jr., a 25-year-old resident of the City of Long Beach
• Melvin Williams II, a 35-year-old resident of the City of Gardena
• Ricardo Torres, a 28-year-old resident of the City of Inglewood

Homicide Detectives are still actively investigating the shooting and urge anyone who may have information that could further the investigation to immediately contact the Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detail Detectives Mark Mattia or Donald Collier at (562) 570-7244.

Original Release 10/30/19 at 2:00 p.m.:

On October 29, 2019 at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 2700 block of East 7th Street regarding reports of a shooting, which resulted in the death of three male adults and an additional nine victims injured.

Within one minute of receiving the call, officers arrived on scene, observed a group of approximately 25 to 30 male and female adults at the residence, and immediately directed them to assist one another to safety. The Long Beach Fire Department arrived and began rendering aid to the victims. Nine victims – seven female adults and two male adults – were transported to local hospitals with various gunshot wounds. Three male adult victims were also located and determined deceased at the scene by Long Beach Fire personnel.

The transported victims’ ages and cities of residence are as follows:

• 20-year-old female resident of the City of Anaheim
• 27-year-old female resident of the City of Hawthorne
• 27-year-old male resident of the City of Cudahy
• 28-year-old female resident of the City of Los Angeles
• 28-year-old female resident of the City of Gardena
• 29-year-old male resident of the City of Hawthorne
• 30-year-old female resident of the City of Compton
• 32-year-old female resident of the City of Lawndale
• 49-year-old female resident of the City of Los Angeles

The preliminary investigation revealed the group was attending a party at the residence when an unknown suspect(s) opened fire on the group from an alley located behind the residence, striking the 12 victims.

The preliminary description of the suspect is a male of an unknown race wearing dark-colored clothing with his face concealed. The suspect is believed to have fled in a dark-colored vehicle immediately after the shooting occurred.

The deceased victims will be identified by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, who will also be providing notifications to next of kin.

“This is a tragic incident that is not at all reflective of our community,” said Long Beach Police Department Chief of Police Robert Luna. “We are committed to working tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice and provide the victims with the services they need.”

Nearly 100 Department employees and volunteers responded to assist in working the crime scene, securing the perimeter, and providing support operations. Officers and detectives immediately began canvassing the neighborhood to identify possible witnesses and to seek out surveillance footage that may be in the area. Additional patrols have also been added to the impacted area as a result of this incident.

Homicide Detectives are continuing to work diligently to gather additional information and determine a motive for the shooting. At this stage of the investigation, detectives do not believe this was a random act of violence, nor is there any indication that this incident is gang-related.

The Long Beach Police Department is seeking the public’s help in gathering additional information regarding this incident to further the ongoing investigation. We urge anyone who may have information regarding this incident to immediately contact the Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detail Detectives Mark Mattia or Donald Collier at (562) 570-7244. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or text TIPLA plus your tip to 274637 (CRIMES), or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org.