Police say they’ve arrested four teenagers in connection to a series of robberies perpetrated over the last few months in North Long Beach.
The teenagers, whose ages range from 15 to 16 years old, are believed to be responsible for at least nine different robberies, with the earliest dating back to July 17 in the area of Orange Avenue and 72nd Street, according to the Long Beach Police Department. The latest occurred on Sept. 7 near the 600 block of East Artesia Boulevard, police said.
Police say the teenagers would drive around North Long Beach in a stolen vehicle, looking for people to rob. The teens usually targeted people for their jewelry and, in some cases, were armed during the crimes, police said.
After detectives identified the teenagers and took them into custody, they served search warrants related to the investigation and found multiple firearms and stolen vehicles, police said.
“It’s disheartening that juveniles are perpetuating crime in our community and victimizing others,” Chief of Police Wally Hebeish said in a statement. “Our department has and will, continue working with all of our partners to disrupt this cycle of violence.”
Because of their age, the teens were not identified publicly.
Police said one 16-year-old, a Long Beach resident, was booked on one count each of carjacking, robbery and stealing a vehicle. Another 16-year-old, a Huntington Park resident, was booked on two counts of robbery.
The two 15-year-olds were booked on several counts of robbery and possession of a firearm.
All four teenagers were transported to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, police said.
It’s unclear whether any charges have been filed yet as those proceedings are confidential. Authorities said detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office last week.