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Sketches provided by Long Beach Police Department

Long Beach police are seeking the public’s help to identify a man and a woman they believe are suspects in the January killing of three-week-old baby Eliza De La Cruz* and the shooting of her family.

Eliza was found dead in an Imperial Beach dumpster on January 4, one day after she was kidnapped and her father, mother and uncle were shot by unknown suspects in their North Long Beach home.

Homicide detectives have interviewed witnesses since the incident and also investigated the victims’ backgrounds, including retracing their steps on January 3, the day the shooting and kidnapping occurred. They also reviewed video in an attempt to identify any possible suspects.

“Detectives continue to consider all possibilities as to why these crimes may have occurred,” the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) said in a statement. “At this point in the investigation, a connection between the victims and suspects has yet to be identified.”

Investigators learned Eliza was being carried by her mother, whose name has not been released, after they exited a bus on Del Amo Boulevard and Long Beach Boulevard at about 4:15PM.

As they were walking home, a black SUV with black rims and a lone female driver pulled up next to them. The woman was described as black, about 40 years old, heavy set, with long dark curly black hair, wearing a pair of black designer sunglasses on her head. The SUV has been described as a 2006 or 2011 Range Rover.

The driver stopped and asked Eliza’s mother about the baby. After a brief verbal exchange, the two continued walking home.

Later that day, a male suspect, described as either a dark-skinned Hispanic or black man, forced his way into Eliza’s family’s home, shot three adults and kidnapped baby Eliza.

Detectives contacted the bus company Eliza and her mother had been riding on to review any surveillance footage from businesses the bus passed on its route on January 3.

They determined the SUV, driven by the female driver, followed the bus while Eliza and her mother were on board.

Detectives have released three videos in the hope that additional witnesses will come forward.

  • Video #1 shows the black SUV following the bus on Long Beach Boulevard just prior to stopping and the victims disembarking,
  • Video #2 shows the black SUV following the bus on Long Beach Boulevard from another perspective,
  • Video #3 shows Eliza’s mother carrying baby Eliza, walking away from the bus. The black SUV is seen at the top right of the video, turning the corner in front of the victims.

Detectives were unable to identify a license plate on the SUV and have forwarded the videos to the FBI.

Detectives have also obtained a list of all Range Rovers in the Southern California area and are contacting owners of vehicles who match the description in an effort to identify the suspects and locate the vehicle.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors issued a $25,000 reward in January for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects who killed Eliza and shot her family members.

Both suspects remain at large and no further information is currently available. We will update this story as we learn more.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach homicide detectives Donald Goodman and Mark Mattia at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. Tips can also be sent via text message by sending “Tipla” plus the information to 274637. Information can also be provided at www.lacrimestoppers.org.

*Homicide detectives said Wednesday that Eliza’s last name, previously spelled Delacruz in past reports, is actually De La Cruz.