Long Beach
Police Department

Update 12/5/2019:

On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service assisted the Long Beach Police Department by locating and arresting two murder suspects in Placerville, CA.

Daniel Castro Fernandez, 22-years-old, and Jason Hernan Cortes, 20-years-old, both residents of Corning, CA, were taken into custody and transported to the Long Beach City jail where they were each booked on one count of murder and held on $2,000,000 bond.

Homicide detectives believe the suspects planned to rob the victim and the robbery quickly escalated to murder. The victim and suspect Cortes were relatives and known to each other.

Detectives delivered their case today to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for filing consideration.

Original Release 7/7/2018:

On July 6, 2018, at approx. 7:10 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Harbor Avenue & 15th Street in regards to an unknown trouble call, which resulted in officers locating the body of a deceased male adult.

When officers arrived, they located the man inside a motorhome, who had sustained stab wounds to the upper torso.  The victim had been found by family members who called police

Long Beach Fire Department paramedics responded and determined the victim, identified as 41-year-old Hernan Cortez of Long Beach, deceased at the scene.  Victim Cortez had been living in his motorhome in that area.

During their investigation, Homicide detectives learned that someone in the area reported seeing the victim on the morning of 7/6/18 at approx. 5:30-6:00 a.m.  Therefore, they believe the stabbing occurred sometime between then and when the victim was discovered by family.

A motive for the stabbing is unknown and the investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is urged to contact LBPD Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Robert Gonzalez 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 smart phone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or by visiting www.crimestoppers.org.