Police say they have arrested a 15-year-old Long Beach boy on suspicion of fatally shooting a 51-year-old man in a homeless encampment on Junipero Beach.
Frank Suggs was one of two men who were shot shortly before 1:55 a.m. on Nov. 24 in an encampment at the beach playground, which was closed at the time for repairs, according to Long Beach police.
The other man survived a wound to the upper body, but Suggs was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 15-year-old is believed to be responsible for both shootings, according to the LBPD, who did not disclose how he came into contact with the victims.
Suggs’ brother, Anthony Suggs, said police told him a group of young assailants may have been involved in the attack.
Anthony Suggs said he was excited to get the news that his brother’s killing may be solved, but there was also a sense of sadness knowing that the suspected attacker was so young.
“Now you have another family going to go through some stuff,” he said in a phone call Friday.
Police said they took the 15-year-old into custody on Thursday after securing an arrest warrant.
The teen, whose name was withheld because he was a minor, was booked into Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall on suspicion of murder. He was being held there without bail while the District Attorney considers what charges to file.
Frank Suggs is from Indiana, where he lived with his wife and children until about eight years ago when he left to live on the streets of Las Vegas and then California, Anthony Suggs previously told the Long Beach Post.
While fighting mental health issues and addiction, Frank Suggs chose to be homeless because he believed he could offer help and advice to others on the street, according to his brother.
After the murder, Anthony Suggs pushed behind the scenes to try to keep authorities focused on the case. He said he was grateful for their persistence, even though some people have discounted his brother’s death because he was homeless.
“It’s just good to know they were working on it,” he said.
Now he’s anxious to see what happens next and find out if authorities can shed any more light on why his brother was killed.