Long Beach
Police Department

On September 26, 2019, officers arrested an adult male suspect who is believed to have committed three incidents of lewd acts on September 25 and 26, 2019.

On September 25, 2019 at approximately 11:25 a.m., officers responded to an indecent exposure call in the area of 3^rd St. and Coronado Ave. Upon arrival, officers contacted an adult female victim reporting that an adult male suspect was committing a lewd act while standing in a public area. A short time later at approximately 11:45 a.m., officers responded to a report of a similar incident that occurred in an alley behind a residence also near the area of 3^rd St. and Coronado Ave.

On September 26, 2019 at approximately 7:35 a.m., officers responded to the area of 4^th St. and Dawson Ave. regarding reports of a similar incident.

Given the nature of the incidents, the proximity to nearby schools, and time of day the incidents occurred, increased patrols were immediately deployed to the surrounding areas to ensure the public’s safety and wellbeing, and Sex Crimes Detectives immediately began their investigation.

After the first incident, an alert patrol officer located a male subject matching the description of the suspect and notified detectives. Through their investigation, detectives were able to further identify the male subject as the suspect involved.

On September 26^th at approximately 6:00 p.m., the suspect was located again in the area of Redondo Ave. and Broadway and was taken into custody for an unrelated charge.

The suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Long Beach resident Juan Manuel Ortiz, was booked for public intoxication and was held in the Long Beach City Jail on $250 bail.

Today, detectives presented their case to the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office for filing consideration. Ortiz was charged with three counts of lewd conduct and is now being held on $50,000 bail in the Long Beach City Jail.

Suspect Ortiz has been described as follows:

Gender: Male
Race: Hispanic
Hair: Dark with balding on top
Eyes: Brown
Facial hair: Full beard and mustache

Detectives believe there may be additional victims and are encouraging anyone who may have witnessed or who may have information regarding either of these incidents to immediately come forward by calling Long Beach Police Department Sex Crimes Detective Darlene Wigmore at (562) 570-7368 or Police Dispatch at (562) 435-6711. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smart phone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.