Police say they’ve arrested four people in connection to the shooting death of a 26-year-old man near Drake Park last month.
Long Beach resident Luis Hernandez Martinez, 18, and Dangelo Antolin Rodriguez, 18, of Lakewood, Washington, were taken into custody on suspicion of murder and robbery after detectives identified them as suspects in the killing of 26-year-old Canaan Smith the night of July 11, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Martinez was jailed in lieu of $2 million bail, while Rodriguez’s bail was set at $3 million, according to police.
Two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, from Long Beach were also taken into custody on suspicion of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Authorities did not release their names because they’re juveniles.
They are both being held in jail without bail, according to police.
Smith, according to police, was in the area near Loma Vista Drive and Corvo Court sometime around 11 p.m. when the suspects approached him and began assaulting him.
At some point during the attack, one of the suspects shot at the man, hitting him multiple times in the upper body, police said.
Authorities responded to the scene and transported Smith to a hospital, where he later died, police said.
While the motive remains under investigation, police believe the crime was gang-related and that the suspects were trying to rob Smith.
Detectives will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office early next week for filing consideration, police said.