Long Beach police say they have arrested a trio of suspects believed to be responsible for the March 20 shooting death of a longtime Wrigley neighborhood street vendor.
Yener Ramirez-Miranda, 37 of Wilmington, was killed shortly after 4 p.m. on March 20 near Eagle Street and Locust Avenue, according to Long Beach police.
“Through our investigation, we quickly learned Mr. Ramirez was not the intended target,” said Long Beach Chief of Police Wally Hebeish. “It soon became clear that Yener Ramirez was the victim of an unacceptable, gang-related act of gun violence and that the suspects involved were believed to be targeting rival gang members.”
Two of the suspects allegedly opened fire at rival gang members but missed, and a bullet struck Ramirez roughly one block east of the shooting location, Hebeish said. The third suspect was arrested on suspicion of accessory to murder, police said.
Raylon Akers, 23 of Los Angeles, Rahman Abdallah, 19 of Long Beach, and James Havlicheck Jr., 33 of Lakewood, were arrested late last week.
Akers and Abdallah are being held on $2 million bail, while Havlicheck is being held on $1 million bail.
Family members previously told the Long Beach Post that Ramirez sold corn and shaved ice in Long Beach for 15 years.
He traveled the same route nearly every day near Lafayette Elementary School from noon to 5 p.m.
A GoFundMe organized to support Ramirez’s wife and two kids raised $50,774.
“I firmly believe that everyone has a right to do business and to live in our communities free of gun violence, especially our most vulnerable businesses [and] our most vulnerable residents including our street vendors,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “Street vendors like Mr. Ramirez-Miranda bring so much life and culture to the tapestry of Long Beach and we have to continue to support them and look out for their safety.”
The trio of suspects have prior convictions related to auto theft, carrying a concealed weapon, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and evading police, Hebeish said.
The investigation is ongoing and detectives have identified several other people of interest who were in the area at the time of the shooting, Hebeish said.
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As part of the investigation, detectives last week executed six search warrants in Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Lakewood and Los Angeles that netted six illegal firearms, Hebeish said.
“I’m very aware that the prevalence of firearms and the number of violent offenders willing to use them has continued to contribute to gun violence in our region,” Hebeish said. “However, I believe these arrests demonstrate that our department will never stop working with and for this community.”