Long Beach detectives believe the two people found dead inside an apartment on Thursday both committed suicide, authorities said Friday.
Officers were asked by the landlord to conduct a welfare check about 2:55 p.m. Thursday in the 1300 block of East Appleton Street, which is just west of Falcon Avenue. They found the deceased, a man and a woman, after making entry into the residence, according to Long Beach Police Department Lt. Megan Zabel.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe this to be a double suicide and no foul play is suspected at this time,” said police spokeswoman Shaunna Dandoy.
A neighbor told CBS2 officers had a tough time getting into the apartment.
“One officer came, and then another officer came, and the next thing you know they had 11 officers here,” neighbor Matt Wood said. “They had discovered that there were two bodies in there and they had barricaded themselves into their bedroom.”
Wood said police used a battering ram to get inside and when they did, “all of these flies came out of the apartment.”
Homicide detectives responded and coroner’s personnel were summoned to assist in the investigation into how the two died, Zabel said.
The ages of the deceased were not released.