The New Year brought joy and celebration, but Long Beach was also met with tragedy less than an hour into 2009 with its first two murders of the year: the shooting of Sarith Em and Vannaly Tim, a young couple living in a Gardenia Ave. apartment near Signal Hill. The former Wilson High grads went outside to move their car to avoid street a sweeping fine shortly after midnight (the city actually ceased the service for the holiday), when they were gunned down.
The Press-Telegram‘s Paul Eakins tells the story through the eyes of Tim’s sister, Debi So. So heard gunshots and ran outside towards the couple’s car.
There, she found Em lying on top of Tim. She said the Coroner’s Office told the family that Em had been shot several times in the back and that one of the bullets had gone all the way through, hitting Tim in the chest.
So tried to call an ambulance on her cell phone but couldn’t make a call, likely because the phone lines were tied up with New Year’s well-wishers, she said. But as soon as she saw Em, she said she knew it was too late for him, So said.
Eakins explains that Tim worked in the Lakewood Mall, and that Em did three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq before returning and working for a box-making company.
The story paints a rightfully gruesome picture of the tragedy, one that was once an epidemic in Long Beach and still remains a major problem.
Crime statistics have not been reported for December 2008 yet, however the year as a whole was on pace to equal murder rates in 2007, which were the lowest in 33 years. Relatively speaking, 2008 was pretty safe. Less than an hour into 2009, though, Long Beach recorded its first two murder victims.
Tim leaves behind a five-year-old son, Adam.
If you have any information, contact homicide detectives Russell Moss or Pat O’Dowd at 562-570-7244.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor