The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) has announced that several arrests have been made in the murder investigation of Frank Robles of Lake Elsinore. On Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011, homicide detectives, with the assistance of the Gang and Violent Crimes Division detectives, Directed Enforcement officers, and LBPD SWAT, served search warrants at six locations in the cities of Norwalk, Compton, Bellflower and Perris. On Friday, Oct. 7, an additional warrant was served at a location in Lake Elsinore, resulting in the arrest of five suspects over both days.
On Monday, August 9, 2010, the LBPD responded to a report of a shooting in the 1400 block of West 16th Street. Upon arrival, officers found that 33-year-old Frank Robles of Lake Elsinore had been shot and died a short time later at a local hospital.
During the course of the investigation, homicide detectives learned that the victim’s home in Lake Elsinore was subsequently burglarized by four suspects within hours of the murder. For the past 13 months, detectives have interviewed people in the Lake Elsinore area and have believed that the burglary was connected to the murder. Over the past several months, homicide detectives have released photographs and sketches involved in this investigation with the hope that members of the public would come forward with information that could assist in solving the murder.
Detectives have identified the suspects involved in this murder who were taken into custody on Oct. 6.
They are as follows:
Name Age City of Residence Booked
Shawn Verette 38 (black male) Bellflower Murder
Luis Orozco 32 (Hispanic male) Norwalk Murder
Luis Garcia 32 (Hispanic male) Bellflower (See below)
The investigation revealed that Robles had gone to an auto repair shop with a large sum of cash to make the final payment on the purchase of a vehicle. Once at the shop, he was approached by two black male suspects, one of them identified as Shawn Verette. They showed the victim a star badge, shot him, took his cash, and fled the location. A few hours later, the suspects, along with two Hispanic male suspects, identified as Luis Orozco and Luis Garcia, broke into the Robles home looking for additional cash. The group took unspecified items from the home and fled. The second black male suspect is not being identified at this time due to the ongoing investigation. It has been determined that Garcia was killed in Mexico in June of 2011; however, there is no indication that his death is related to this case.
In addition, the following persons were identified as accomplices to the murder and were arrested on Oct. 7 for accessory after the fact to the murder, for aiding the suspects by concealing evidence and assisting the suspects in covering up the crime:
Name Age City of Residence Booked
Gabrela Orozco 39 Bellflower Accessory
Rosa Orozco 35 Lake Elsinore Accessory
Nancy Acevedo 34 Norwalk Accessory (Arrested 10/6/11)
All suspects are being held at the Long Beach City Jail awaiting arraignment in Long Beach Superior Court on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011.
Anyone who may have information regarding this investigation should contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Todd Johnson at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted via text or e-mail at tipsoft.com.
