Long Beach police arrest seven suspects for a string of business burglaries
Long Beach, California – The Long Beach Police Department has announced the arrest of seven people in connection with more than 20 burglaries that have taken place since January. The police believe that three groups are responsible for the crimes, which have been causing havoc for small business owners in the area over the last two months. In response to these crimes, the police have increased patrols in the affected areas and created a Burglary Task Force, which has been successful in preventing any new burglaries in the series since its formation.
One of the first incidents was reported on February 7th, where a business located in the 70 block of Aquarium Way had reported a grand theft of around $1,000 in stolen merchandise. The police collected evidence from the scene and took a statement from one of the employees who had witnessed the suspects fleeing the area. The police stopped a vehicle that matched the witness’s description nearly a month later and found that the driver was one of the suspects responsible for the burglary. The driver, RanyKennkaUong, a 40-year-old resident of Long Beach, was arrested and booked with no bail.
Another incident involved a burglary that occurred on February 16th in the 800 block of W. 15th Street. Video evidence shows a group of suspects forcing their way into a business and vandalizing the interior. While nothing was taken, the owner suffered an unknown amount of damage. The police later stopped a vehicle that was fleeing the scene and arrested four suspects: Glenn Jerome Ballard, a 22-year-old resident of Paramount who was booked on one count of first-degree burglary, one count of possession of burglary tools, and one count of felony; Curtis Paul Taylor III, a 19-year-old resident of Los Angeles who was booked on one count of first-degree burglary, one count of felony, and one count of possession of burglary tools and held on $20,000 bail; Davon Mijuna Jackson Jr., a 34-year-old resident of Los Angeles who was booked on one count of first-degree burglary and held on $20,000 bail; and an unidentified 17-year-old male who was charged with first-degree burglary and later released to a family member’s custody.
On February 25th, the police arrested a 35-year-old man, Joshua Warrant Johnson, who had broken into a church in the 1100 block of East Market Street. Johnson was booked for burglary and possession of unlawful paraphernalia, and his bail was set at $20,000. The following day, the police arrested 22-year-old Corey James Swayney, a Long Beach resident who had broken into another business in the 450 block of East Ocean Boulevard. Swayney stole cash and a tablet from the store, which he broke into using a nearby standing umbrella to shatter the window. Swayney was booked for two counts of second-degree burglary and held with no bail.
The Long Beach Police Department has stated that investigators are still searching for additional suspects and are encouraging anyone with information or who believes they were also victimized in the incidents to contact them at (562) 570-7351.
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