On January 29 of 2011, Long Beach Police officers responded to reports of gang activity in the area surrounding MacArthur Park. Upon arrival, two suspects pulled up in a car on Anaheim Street alongside the unmarked police car that was dispatched, unloading two shots. One officer in the vehicle — Gang Enforcement Detective Gabriel Garrido — was shot and injured, eventually having a full recovery after being released; the other, Detective William Jarman, was uninjured in the encounter.
In what the Long Beach Police Department called a full-on gang takedown just a few days after the incident, they confiscated a multitude of weapons and arrested thirteen supposed gang members. Amongst those thirteen were two young men, Long Beach residents Erick Sianez, now 20, and David Silva, now 21, accused of shooting Garrido; both were 19 at the time of their arrests. Each are being charged with six felony counts and if convicted, could face life in prison.
The pre-trial hearing of both men will occur on July 17, with a formal trail to begin within ten days following.