LATEST: Stabbing Victims Recount Monday Night Attack in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore Neighborhood
A couple was attacked Monday night on St. Joseph Avenue in Belmont Shore after leaving a restaurant on Second Street, leaving one victim with a punctured lung, according to Long Beach police and a close friend of the victims.
According to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), officers were dispatched to the 200 block of St. Joseph Avenue at 10:45PM regarding an assault call.
When they arrived, they discovered that two adult males had been approached by two to three male suspect who attempted to rob the men, leading to a physical altercation.
Miles—who asked that his last name be withheld—identified himself as a friend of the victims, and said at some point during the incident, the suspects were yelling “homophobic and [racial] slurs.” He told the Post the couple is both interracial and gay, describing one man as being black and the other as being white.
The altercation ended when a witness intervened, and the suspects ran away, the LBPD stated. According to one of the victims, there were three suspects who attacked the couple, including one who drove a getaway car.
During the incident, one of the victims sustained a stab wound to the torso, according to police.
Miles said the wound resulted in the victim sustaining a punctured lung. “He is currently at Long Beach MemorialCare and won’t be released until Saturday,” Miles told the Post.
The LBPD stated that one of the victims was transported to the hospital with no life-threatening injuries, while the other victim, who complained of pain, was not transported. According to Miles, the other man had “a broken finger and bruises,” and was also stabbed. The other victim states that he traveled to St. Mary’s Medical Center with two stab wounds, where doctors at the hospital “stapled [his] chest up.” He said he was released around 2:00AM Tuesday morning.
“Detectives are actively investigating and attempting to determine if the victims were specifically targeted,” the LBPD stated.
No property was taken, according to the LBPD. The suspects were described as Hispanic males in their late teens or early 20s.
Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact Long Beach Police Robbery Detective Don Collier at 562.570.5537. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1.800.222.TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.
This story was updated at 1:45PM with additional information from one of the victims.
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