The Long Beach Police Department announced the arrest of numerous members of a notorious criminal street gang, believed to be responsible for three separate shooting series’ totaling 13 shootings and at least one murder, after several months of investigation.

Detectives from the Homicide, Gang, and Career Criminal Apprehension Details began this investigation when the first shooting occurred in November 19, 2009, when a shooting occurred in the 3600 block of Santa Fe Ave, which resulted in the murder of 19-year-old Frank Castro of Long Beach. Detectives had limited suspect descriptions to work with and the case went unsolved.

In mid-2010 and early 2011, detectives identified a series of shootings that were related to one another through ballistics. The victims were gang members and generally uncooperative, which left detectives with little information to go on. Two additional shooting series’ involving two more weapons were also identified through ballistics.

As detectives reviewed each of the reports and re-interviewed witnesses and victims, a profile began to emerge. The profile revealed that all three shooting series’ were being committed by the Baby Insane Crip criminal street gang. Interviews with other gang members helped detectives identify a specific group within the gang who may have been responsible for these crimes.

News releases were sent out asking for the public’s help as new information was obtained on the murder of Frank Castro while detectives continued to conduct follow-up interviews and were able to acquire information on potential suspects. Detectives investigated these possible suspects, identifying their associates and conducting surveillance. Through the efforts of homicide detectives assigned to this shooting series, they were able to locate witnesses who provided the necessary evidence to identify the suspects in the murder.

Homicide detectives soon uncovered evidence which revealed this gang’s involvement in additional shootings and another murder in the Southern California area. LBPD detectives worked closely with five agencies to provide them with the evidence they discovered during their investigation, which involved 32 property and violent crimes. Furthermore, this gang was also involved in multiple residential and commercial burglaries throughout the Southland and detectives have been working with those law enforcement agencies as well.

On June 12, they concluded the second wave of arrests related to this investigation. During the course of the entire investigation, LBPD served 27 search warrants at locations in the cities of Long Beach, Rialto, Perris, and San Bernardino, taking 16 suspects into custody.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has charged 22-year-old Johnney Smith of Long Beach, who was already in custody for an unrelated armed robbery, with the murder of Frank Castro.

During the investigation, detectives were able to construct a current organizational chart of the gang with the objective of tearing down its leadership as well as solving as many crimes as possible. Sabrile Acklin, who was identified as the leader of the Baby Insane Crip Gang, ran his criminal enterprise in Long Beach from his home in Rialto. Acklin would direct his gang to target other gang members, commit robberies, burglaries, and identity theft.

Other top leaders — which include Kendale Gipson, Winton White, Donovan Holcomb, Johnney Smith, and Durrell Shell — were Acklin’s top Lieutenants in the gang who terrorized our community committing shootings, burglaries, and robberies; additional associates of the gang were also arrested for their involvement in aiding the gang, whom detectives believe these suspects are responsible for additional crimes. With all of these suspects in custody, LBPD is hoping that victims and witnesses will be willing to come forward and provide additional evidence needed to charge these suspects with additional crimes. A list of all the suspects arrested and their charges are identified below:

Name; Age; City of Residence; Charge:

  • Sabrille Acklin; 29; San Bernardino; accessory to murder and commercial burglary
  • Johnney Smith; 22; Long Beach; murder
  • Kendale Gipson; 27; Long Beach; possession of loaded firearm and identity theft
  • Darwin Cordova; 18; Long Beach; possession of loaded firearm and auto burglary
  • Hacking Wells; 21; Long Beach; violation of gang injunction
  • Donovon Halcomb; 23; Perris; commercial burglary and conspiracy
  • Durell Shell; 26; Long Beach; commercial burglary and conspiracy
  • Wynton White; 19; Long Beach; residential burglary
  • Deondre Whitfield; 22; Long Beach; residential burglary
  • Wardell Wood; 22; Long Beach; residential burglary
  • Jeffrey Obrien; 23; Long Beach; residential burglary
  • JJ Adams; 24; La Palma; ex-felon in possession of firearm
  • Rachel Williams; 22; Perris; conspiracy, burglary, and possession of stolen property
  • Karessa Williams; 25; Perris; conspiracy, burglary and possession of stolen property
  • Milton Harris; 25; Long Beach; commercial burglary
  • Nicholas Campbell; 19; Long Beach; robbery

This investigation continues the department’s efforts to reduce violent crime in the Long Beach community by not only targeting those responsible for the crimes, but the gang leadership and those who assist them.

Anyone who may have any information regarding other crimes is asked to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Todd Johnson at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted via text or web at by visiting www.tipsoft.com.

Information relating to the murder and 13 shootings, which are part of the three separate shooting series, are as follows:

Date, Time, Location:

  • November 19, 2009, 11:30pm, 3600 block of Sante Fe Avenue
  • May 18, 2010, 6:21pm, 1000 of Myrtle Avenue
  • June 7, 2010, 10:37pm, 2200 block of Lime Avenue
  • July 9, 2010, 4:20pm, 1000 block of E. 21st Street
  • July 9, 2010, 11:56pm, 700 block of E. 15th Street
  • January 24, 2011, 4:37pm, 2000 block of E. 10th Street
  • July 22, 2011, 11:17pm, 700 block of Cherry Avenue
  • July 26, 2011, 10:21pm, 1300 block of E. 14th Street
  • July 27, 2011, 11:35pm, 1000 block of Cherry Avenue
  • July 30, 2011, 9:26pm, 5600 block of Linden Avenue
  • September 10, 2011, 10:38pm, 1700 block of E. 8th Street
  • September 17, 2011, 9:25pm, 500 block of Orange Avenue
  • October 4, 2011, 1:46pm, 1700 block of E. 7th Street
  • December 3, 2011, 10:16pm, 2200 block of Earl Avenue