A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday for allegedly shooting a homeless person in a camp in Long Beach.
The Long Beach Police Department responded to a call from the 2600 block of East Ocean Boulevard not long before 2 a.m. on November 24. Upon arrival, they found two men near a beach playground with gunshot wounds.
The first person was taken to the hospital and recovered, while the second person was pronounced dead. He was later identified as Frank Suggs, 51, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Police said the teenager, who has not yet been released, was responsible for the two shootings. Police said the motivations and circumstances behind the shooting were still under investigation.
The teenager was arrested in Long Beach and booked for suspected murder. He was released on bail in Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
Detectives intend to file a case with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for deliberation next week.
In California, a 15-year-old man accused of murder must be tried in juvenile court. This is due to the Senate Act of 1391, which came into effect in 2019 and prohibits minors aged 14 and 15 from prosecution in adult courts, regardless of the seriousness of the crime.
If convicted of murder, the teenager can be held in prison until he is 25 years old.
Anthony Suggs, the victim’s brother, told the Long Beach Post that he was grateful for the arrest but was sorry to learn about the suspect’s youth.
“Now, you have another family to go through something,” he told The Outlet.
Frank Suggs, from Indiana, lived with his wife and children until about eight years ago when he became homeless while struggling with mental health and medication use issues. Anthony Suggs said he lives in the streets of Las Vegas and later Los Angeles.
Another 15-year-old boy was arrested earlier this month for a fatal shooting in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Police Department. The couple allegedly killed 21-year-old Brandon Villarreal after a dispute outside the Long Beach Grand Prix at around 5:50 p.m. on April 12.
