A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday on suspicion of fatally shooting a homeless man at an encampment in Long Beach, authorities said.
The Long Beach Police Department responded to a call in the 2600 block of East Ocean Boulevard shortly before 2 a.m. on Nov. 24. Upon arriving, they found two men near an encampment at a beach playground suffering from upper body gunshot wounds.
The first man was taken to a hospital and recovered, while the second was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 51-year-old Frank Suggs, according to the L.A. County medical examiner’s office.
Police said the teenager, whose identity has not been released, is responsible for both shootings. The motive behind and circumstances leading up to the shootings remain under investigation, police said.
The teen was arrested in Long Beach and booked on suspicion of murder. He is being held without bail at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
Detectives intend to present the case to the L.A. County district attorney’s office for filing consideration next week.
In California, a 15-year-old charged with murder must be tried in juvenile court. This is because of Senate Bill 1391, which took effect in 2019 and prohibits minors age 14 and 15 from being prosecuted in adult court, regardless of the severity of the offense.
If convicted of murder, a juvenile can be held in prison until age 25.
The victim’s brother, Anthony Suggs, told the Long Beach Post that he was grateful an arrest has been made, but sad to learn how young the suspect is.
“Now you have another family going to go through some stuff,” he told the outlet.
Frank Suggs was from Indiana, where he lived with his wife and children until about eight years ago when he became homeless while grappling with mental health and substance use issues, his brother told the Post. He lived on the streets of Las Vegas and later Los Angeles, Anthony Suggs said.
Another 15-year-old boy was arrested earlier this month in connection with a fatal shooting in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Police Department. That teen is suspected of killing 21-year-old Brandon Villarreal after the pair got into an argument outside the Long Beach Grand Prix around 5:50 p.m. on April 12.
