A 25-year-old homeless man suspected of fatally shooting a 36-year-old man in a residential area of Long Beach has been taken into custody, police announced Thursday.
Officers responded around 1:28 a.m. on Sunday to the 200 block of Falcon Avenue, near Second Street, to reports of shots fired, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The victim, identified as Thomas Mello, was discovered by the responding officers with a gunshot wound to his upper body.
Long Beach Fire Department paramedics arrived at the location a short time later to take Mello to a hospital, where he later died as a result of his injury.
Detectives identified the suspect as Jose Garcia-Lineras, who was located on Sunday near the 700 block of Orange Avenue, about seven-tenths of a mile north of the shooting scene, and taken into custody. Police said he was later booked and held without bail.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear as detectives continue to follow leads.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call homicide detectives Eric Thai or Chasen Contreras at 562-570-7244. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.