The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) arrested one male adult and two male juveniles in connection to an assault with a deadly weapon on a juvenile on Tuesday, May 21, and detectives also believe additional suspects may exist.
LBPD gang detectives, in conjunction with patrol officers, worked through the weekend to identify the suspects involved in the assault, the department stated. On May 21, the three suspects were taken into custody and a search warrant was executed on a residence.
Bryan Blancas, an 18-year-old resident of Long Beach, along with a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old male juvenile were taken into custody after a battery report, which was later determined to be an assault with a deadly weapon. The preliminary investigation revealed a male juvenile victim was assaulted by a group of individuals near the intersection of East 15th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.
Blancas has been booked on attempted murder and participation in a felony street gang and is being held on $1,040,000 bail at the Long Beach City Jail. Both juvenile suspects have been booked for assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm and are being held at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
The LBPD stated it will maintain a heightened presence in the area and wanted to remind the community to report any criminal activity directly to police, also adding that “posting a video or status update on social media should not be a substitute for a crime report.”
“If an incident is not reported, it hinders our department’s ability to fully investigate the incident to create a safer environment for our students and community,” the department stated in its press release this week. “We remind you that if you ‘see something, say something.’ [We] urge you to report suspicious activity by calling (562) 435-6711 or 9-1-1 in case of emergency.”
Detectives are requesting that those with information regarding additional suspects contact the LBPD’s Gang Detail at (562) 570-7370. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to a smartphone or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.