The incident occurred around 10:15pm on Aug. 6, in the area of 9th Street and Locust Avenue. When officers arrived shortly thereafter, they found that 26-year-old Carina Mancera and 4-year-old Jennabel Anaya of Long Beach had been struck by gunfire, according to police.
Long Beach Fire Department personnel pronounced Mancera deceased at the scene. Her daughter was transported to a local hospital in critical condition but was pronounced deceased early Sunday morning.
A preliminary investigation determined the two victims and the child’s father, Luis Anaya, 27, had just arrived home, and they were walking to their nearby residence, when the shooting occurred. A motive for the incident is unknown, and no suspect information was available at press time.
During a press conference Monday, Homicide Sgt. Robert Woods indicated the shooting was not gang-related.
“We’re going over all the witness statements,” Woods said. “You can imagine that…we went and talked to as many people here as we possibly could. We will re-canvas the neighborhood after we get as much as we can. We have as many boots on the ground on this as possible. Investigatively, this is obviously one that we want to solve. At no time do we ever want to have a 4-year-old or her mother— the 26-year-old— gunned down for no apparent reason at all.”
[aesop_image imgwidth=”300px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Screen-Shot-2016-08-11-at-4.33.04-PM.png” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”During a press conference Monday, LBPD Homicide Sgt. Robert Woods said the shootings of 4-year-old Jennabel Anaya and her mother, 26-year-old Carina Mancera, were not gang-related.” captionposition=”right”] Woods explained that the family had just returned from shopping and were unloading their car. The father was across the street from the two victims when they were shot, and he told police that shots were directed at him as well.
“Words cannot describe how heartbreaking it is to know that our community has lost two young innocent lives to gun violence,” said Councilmember Lena Gonzalez, who represents the 1st District, where the shooting took place. “As a mother of three boys, my heart breaks for this young family in our neighborhood. I have spoken daily with Police Chief Robert Luna, and I am confident they are working hard to ensure that we are taking every step possible to find the person or persons responsible for this horrible crime. As a community, we also need to be vigilant and ensure we come together— and if we see something, please say something and report crimes right away.”
Patricia Costales, LCSW, crisis intervention specialist and CEO of The Guidance Center, located a few blocks away from the incident, released a statement Monday about the impact of the shooting.
“Our hearts break for the family of Carina Mancera and her daughter, Jennabel Anaya,” Costales said. “Community violence of any kind strikes the core of our being and can leave us feeling hopeless, especially after an act as unexplainable and senseless as this one. It is common for those who have experienced this trauma to feel scared, depressed, angry and confused. If left untreated, community violence can have a ripple effect that is far reaching and can have long lasting impacts. We encourage those who have experienced this type of trauma— whether you’ve witnessed the act itself, lost a loved one or are living in the neighborhood— to seek help. We are here as a resource.”
The Guidance Center may be reached at (562) 595-1159.
Callers with any information may remain anonymous in contacting LBPD Homicide Detectives Scott Lasch and Michael Hubbard at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus the tip to CRIMES (274637) or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
