Long Beach Police arrest 4 in gang-related shooting that killed a 51-year-old veteran
The Long Beach Police Department announced the arrest of four people Wednesday for the April 4 shooting that left one man dead and another injured.
The shootings took place just before 7 p.m. in the 600 block of 61st Street, where officers found two men with gunshot wounds.
One man was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The other man, 51-year-old Mario Morales-Moreno, died at the scene. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson called Morales-Moreno a local veteran and North Long Beach resident. Police said they did not believe Moreno was the intended target of the shooting.
During the shooting investigation, detectives determined that the shooter fired "numerous rounds in the direction of the victims."
Police arrested Taylor Byron Woods, a 20-year-old resident of Bellflower, the night of the shooting and was booked for one count of murder.
On Saturday, Jordan Omarion Stokes, an 18-year-old resident of Long Beach, was arrested by the Gardena Police Department for weapons violations. Long Beach Police detectives took Stokes into custody three days later, where he was booked for one count of murder.
Semaj Lamar Obrien, a 21-year-old resident of Long Beach, was arrested and booked for murder on Monday.
Tyrell Deshawn Louden, a 20-year-old resident of Indio, was booked for one count of murder. Louden was arrested on Tuesday by the Riverside Sheriff's Department in the city of Indio and transported to Long Beach City Jail.
During the arrests, officers recovered multiple firearms and other evidence. Bail for all four suspects was set at $2 million each.
Homicide detectives believe the motive to be gang related, but the investigation remains ongoing.
"Our hearts remain heavy as we feel for Mario Morales-Moreno's family and loved ones," Richardson said. "Gang violence has no place in our community and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible."
Kristi Wyffels, a friend and neighbor of Morales-Moreno, established a GoFundMe page on behalf of the family, writing that he was a "fixture in our North Long Beach neighborhood, always looking out for others and helping anyone in need."
Wyffels wrote that Morales-Moreno is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. As of Wednesday, more than $15,000 had been raised.
"Even though they have someone, that's not gonna bring him back," said Elsa Morales, Mario's wife. "I just hope justice is right for him and I know he's not here to fight for himself, but we are here and we're gonna do the best we can so he can get justice."
Morales-Moreno's family spoke with KCAL News on Wednesday, where they remembered their father as a man you could go to for anything.
"He would stop what he was doing and put other people before him, because that's just the man he was," said Morales-Moreno's son.
While they're still struggling to process the tragedy, they're appreciative of the outpouring of support they've received.
"Everyone says, you know, your dad was so friendly, he would always wave," said Fernanda Sandoval, Morales-Moreno's daughter. "A simple wave hello to everyone meant so much, and everyone has that story of him waving."
