Newly obtained court records give the clearest account yet of a high-profile killing last month in downtown Long Beach’s Lincoln Park and provide new details about the repeat, violent offender charged in the shooting.
Police allege 49-year-old Billy Zepeda murdered a homeless man in a “seemingly unprovoked” attack on the afternoon of Aug. 28. Around 4:20 p.m., Zepeda was riding his bicycle through the park when he spotted the victim sitting down in the park and rode over to him, according to a search warrant affidavit filed by police in Long Beach Superior Court.
Police allege Zepeda dismounted from his bike, pulled out a handgun and shot the victim once in the back of the head at close range. He then rode away, remaining on the lam for several days, according to the court filing.
Police didn’t say whether Zepeda knew the victim, whom they identified as 50-year-old Randy Powell. Powell was known to frequent the park, but witnesses said they’d never seen Zepada there before, according to court records.
Police wrote that they were able to identify Zepeda through security camera footage that captured him riding in the park and other nearby areas, like Shoreline Village, on the day of the shooting.
At one point, he took off his black, short-sleeved shirt, revealing distinctive tattoos covering arms, chest, stomach and back, police wrote. One of the tattoos reportedly read “Longo” — an infamous Long Beach gang — across his stomach.
Police say they identified Zepeda by comparing the footage to prior booking photos, and officers arrested him on Sept. 2 while he was riding a bicycle near Willow Street and Baltic Avenue.
When they searched him, they found a 9 mm semi-automatic firearm in his waistband, according to court documents.
Zepeda pleaded not guilty to murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show.
Prosecutors allege Zepeda has prior convictions dating back to 1999, when he pleaded no contest to one felony count of robbery and was sentenced to 3 years in state prison.
Since 1999, Zepeda has been sentenced to a combined 12 years and four months in prison, including for one felony count of assault with a firearm on a peace officer in 2002, according to prosecutors.
Zepeda is being held on $4 million bail and is due back in court on Oct. 28.