Special meeting tonight in Rose Park with Commander Le Baron of LBPD regarding the home invasion robbery last night on the 700 block of Coronado Ave

In connection with an attempted home invasion robbery in the 700 block of Coronado Ave last evening (Sunday, June 29th), East Division Commander Paul Le Baron of the Long Beach Police Department will be hosting an information meeting tonight at 6:00p in Rose Park (8th St and Orizaba Ave) for local residents and other interested persons. Given that there is little advance notice of the meeting, we’ll be posting a follow-up note about the meeting in the coming days here on our web site with pertinent details and safety tips that are learned from it.

Update Tue, Jul 1:

At about 9:30pm, Sunday, June 29, 4 male suspects quietly entered a house on the 700 block of Coronado in Rose Park. The resident was in the home with two guests and had the front screen door unlocked, with the front door open. One suspect had a rifle and pointed it at the victims; they were able to take a small amount of property. There was a brief altercation between the suspects and one of the victims, but during this time the resident was able to get to the back exterior of the house and scream loudly. Several neighbors on the block came out of their houses when they heard the screams and were instrumental in contacting police and providing information on which direction the suspects were headed. The suspects fled the scene. The suspect with the rifle ran down the street and discarded the rifle in a neighbor’s yard on the corner of 8th and Coronado, where it was retrieved by police. This suspect was apprehended at 10th street and positively ID’d by the victims at the scene. Two of the other suspects were apprehended in a car at 8th and Ohio and also positively ID’d by the victims at the scene. The fourth suspect is being sought. The suspects in this case have a known gang affiliation with a gang that is well-documented with the police; the gang investigation team is involved. During the police response, several police units as well as the helicopter were dispatched.

Only one of the victims suffered mild injuries in the altercation and no others were hurt.

The Commander emphasized that the police getting to the scene quickly and apprehending the suspects was due in large part to the neighbors’ response and by promptly calling 911. Rose Park has a strong Community Watch culture in place and it was evident in the neighborhood’s response.

The resident of the house was also present at last night’s meeting and stated that the four suspects were completely quiet and walked into the house through the screen door without any of them noticing even though they were seated in the dining room adjacent to the front entrance. As this case illustrates how easily someone can quietly enter your home through an unlocked door without you noticing, the Commander stressed the importance of locking doors/screen doors even when you are at home.