A routine traffic stop in Long Beach escalated into a barricade at an area hotel, where one of two men taken into custody was allegedly armed with ammunition and body armor, authorities said today.
Officers conducted the traffic stop at about 8:10 p.m. Friday in the area of Redondo Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway and during their investigation recovered a firearm, the Long Beach Police Department reported.
Kevin Hernandez Rivera, 28, who was experiencing homelessness, was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, being a prohibited possessor of ammunition, carrying a concealed weapon and violation of post-release community supervision, police said.
A follow-up investigation led officers to a motel nearby in the 3500 block of Pacific Coast Highway, where they saw two men fleeing the location.
The men barricaded themselves inside a hotel room, prompting police to establish a perimeter. A SWAT team responded to the location and the suspects were taken into custody — without incident — a short time later.
Joshua Burns, 28, who also was experiencing homelessness, was arrested on suspicion of being a prohibited possessor of ammunition, being a felon in possession of body armor and stolen property.
Bail for Rivera and Burns men was “pending magistrate review,” according to a police statement.
The second man at the motel was released and not booked. The investigation was ongoing.