The Long Beach Police Department has announced the arrest of three men connected to the suspected gang-related slaying of an innocent street vendor.
Just after 4 p.m. on March 20, 37-year-old Yener Hudiel Ramirez-Miranda was selling food in the 100 block of Eagle Avenue in Long Beach when he was struck by what appeared to be an errant bullet.
“Through their preliminary investigation, detectives determined that multiple unknown suspects were in the area when at least one of them fired gunshots,” LBPD said in a statement. “The victim was working down the block as a street vendor when he was struck by gunfire.”
Ramirez-Miranda was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
According to detectives, it is not believed that the victim and the suspects had any interaction prior to the shooting.
“Homicide detectives believe the suspects fired shots at subjects they believed to be rival gang members,” LBPD said in an updated statement issued on Monday. “Ramirez-Miranda was an innocent bystander and not involved in gang activity.”
Police identified the three suspects as Rahman Snook Abdallah, 19, of Long Beach; Raylon Deshawn Akers, 23, of Los Angeles; and James Arthur Havlicheck, Jr., 33, of Lakewood. Each man is a gang member and prohibited possessor, LBPD said.
Abdallah and Akers were both arrested on July 18 in Long Beach, while Havlicheck, Jr. was apprehended the following day in L.A. after police served search warrants in Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Lakewood and Los Angeles.
Multiple firearms were recovered during the arrests, authorities said.
Both Abdallah and Akers were booked for murder and had their bail set at $2 million.
Havlicheck, Jr. was booked for accessory to murder; his bail was set at $1 million.
Detectives are set to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office this week.
Investigators believe there were additional subjects in the area at the time of the shooting, and anyone with more information is asked to contact the LBPD by calling 562-570-7244 or calling L.A. Crime Stoppers.