Three men and two women were found slain Sunday in the seedy neighborhood of warehouses and apartment buildings near the intersection of two freeways. Some of the victims had been shot more than once.
An anonymous tipster called from a pay phone Sunday morning and directed police to the scene. But even the time of the attack is in dispute: Some neighbors reported hearing gunfire, yelling and a car speeding off just after midnight, while the coroner said the crime occurred sometime Saturday afternoon or evening.
Police said Monday that they had no eyewitnesses and no suspects and had yet to establish a motive for the slayings. But neighbors said people would often drop by to do drugs in the shadows underneath the freeway.
Investigators spent 12 hours collecting evidence, removing dozens of bags of trash and belongings from the spot in hopes of finding clues. And they issued a plea for the anonymous caller to come forward in the hope that he had more information.
Gang graffiti was sprayed along a freeway bridge near the crime scene, and a drainage channel appeared to be the only way in and out of the spot.
"We have a tremendous amount of foliage out there," Police Chief Anthony W. Batts said. "It's very tough getting into."
Authorities identified two of the victims as Vanessa Malaepule, 34, and Lorenzo Perez Villicana, 44. The others' names were withheld until their families could be notified. Police said they had not determined how many of the victims were homeless.
Morgan said he knew the victims only by their first names or nicknames — LV, Vanessa, Cat, Sammy and Fred. They liked to come to the site to party, he said.
Relatives of Malaepule said she was the mother of six children and was not homeless but liked to hang out at the spot. They said they did not know why.
Her uncle Ilager McMoore said police told him that his niece was found beneath the body of her boyfriend, as though he had tried to shield her from the gunfire. McMoore said he suspects the boyfriend may have been involved in a gang dispute.
Tippi Briggs, a nearby resident, said she had seen an increase in what she suspected was drug activity in the area. "You see people drive up in their nice cars, go in there, then come out after a couple of minutes," she said. "Some are stumbling."
She also said the area had been plagued in recent weeks by a rash of home and car break-ins.
Elsa Neal, who manages an apartment complex close to the scene, said the area was frequented by homeless people and by those who apparently hung out to do drugs. She said the homeless people would sometimes stop by to ask to use her water to clean their cooking utensils and were always polite.
About 10 relatives of Malaepule assembled a shrine on a tattered piece of old carpet, placing a smiling photograph of her atop a bunch of yellow and white flowers. One of her children sprinkled petals around lit candles.
The impromptu memorial was interrupted by a California Highway Patrol officer who told the family they were too close to the freeway and needed to move along.
Source
Monday, November 3, 2008
O.C. officials wary after 5 homeless people killed in Long Beach
Five people were found dead in a makeshift homeless camp near the 405 freeway. Local authorities await details if the incident targeted homeless.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
The Orange County Register
Law enforcement officers in Orange County are being briefed today on the attack in Long Beach that left five people dead Sunday near an off-ramp of the I-405 freeway.
Three men and two women were found dead in a makeshift homeless encampment near the Santa Fe Avenue off-ramp of the I-405 freeway. Long Beach police are investigating the killing. None of the five victims, some of whom were found with multiple gunshot wounds, have been identified as of Monday morning.
Authorities in Long Beach and surrounding areas are waiting for details on what may have prompted the slayings. Several residents told other news sources that the area is known for continuous drug activity, although police have not said whether the shooting was drug-related.
In Orange County, some law enforcement agencies have briefed their officers on the incident, although no specific action has been taken in response so far.
"We're just in standby mode to see what Long Beach sends out to local law enforcement," said Sgt. Jason Kravetz of the Laguna Beach police.
Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Department who were beginning their shift Monday morning were also briefed on the incident, said Lt. Fred Furey.
If the incident was an isolated one, it will not affect other agencies. But if investigators find that the incident targeted homeless individuals, police will be working to thwart any similar attacks, authorities said.
"It's so fresh right now, we don't know what Long Beach is doing right now," Kravetz said.
There are about 50 to 60 known transients living in Laguna Beach. Earlier this year, police created a new position of community outreach officer. The officer is responsible for making contact with the city's homeless population.
He has been notified of the incident as well, but police will not be taking any specific action until more details emerge on the Long Beach case, Kravetz said.
Law enforcement agencies regularly send and request information from other agencies regarding possible trends or suspicious activity to be on the watch for.
No such notification regarding attacks on homeless people has been sent recently, Kravetz said.
The Long Beach killings happened about three weeks after someone poured gasoline over a homeless man in Los Angeles and burned him to death. No arrests have been made in that incident.
Police were notified of the Long Beach killings at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday after receiving an anonymous call from a man. Investigators believe the man may have more information on the incident and are asking him to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Long Beach police detectives at 562-570-7244.