A 38-year-old Long Beach resident was arrested Friday after the man allegedly sexually assaulted a 40-year-old Seal Beach woman.
Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officers responded to the Long Beach area of the San Gabriel Riverbed near Pacific Coast Highway at about 10:35PM to investigate a report of a sexual assault. Arriving officers contacted the person who reported the incident, which led officers to the area where the suspect was last seen.
Two officers began chasing one possible suspect, while another officer stayed with the reporting party, who eventually found the suspect and pointed him out to officers, police said.
The suspect, who had a large pit bull, said something to the dog before the dog rushed toward the officer. The officer ordered the suspect to recall his dog, but the suspect refused according to the LBPD. The officer then shot the dog to protect himself and the reporting party. The dog, not fatally injured by the bullet, then retreated and the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.
Animal Care Services took the dog to a local animal hospital for treatment.
The suspect was booked for a sexually-related offense and is being held at the Long Beach City Jail on $100,000 bail. The incident remains under investigation by Long Beach Police Homicide Detail and Sex Crimes Unit detectives.
No other details were available. We will update this story as we find out more.