Reshawn Strother, 20, of Cypress, was already in custody in an unrelated matter but was expected to be booked on suspicion of murder Friday, according to Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish. Destenee Sheree Scipio, 21, of Long Beach, was arrested Wednesday.
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The boy's family remains devastated, despite the arrests.
"My family, we coping with it, but it is shock the boy didn't get a chance to live life," said Eric Brown, Sr., the boy's grandfather. "He's 12 years old and that was our baby. We still hurt. He was a good little kid and we respect him of the time we had him. He's a good little guy. Everybody, be a little closer to your kids."
Both suspects are being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to jail records.
They are accused in the shooting that occurred around 11:30 p.m. May 9 in the 2200 block of Lewis Avenue, between Martin Luther King Jr. and Orange avenues. Police said Eric Gregory Brown III, 12, of Long Beach, was walking along the street with two girls, aged 13 and 14, when a vehicle approached them with at least two male suspects inside, and an unknown number of people in the vehicle opened fire.
14-year-old boy hit by stray bullet at home in Long Beach; suspect at large
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14-year-old boy hit by stray bullet at home in Long Beach; suspect at large
Eric Brown, who shares a name with his grandfather, was killed and the 14-year-old girl was injured. The 13- year-old escaped injury. The suspects fled the scene.
"There may be additional suspects, so as a reminder, this investigation remains ongoing and active," Hebeish said during a Friday morning news conference. "The $25,000 reward for information remains in place for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any remaining suspects.
"We believe this incident stemmed from an earlier gang altercation not involving the victims," the chief said, adding that Stroher is a documented gang member, and Scipio is believed to be his girlfriend. He stressed that the victims had no gang ties and that investigators have no reason to believe the victims knew the suspects.
"This incident was devastating for our entire community," Hebeish said. "And as a father, it pains me to think that anybody would think so little of a life, let alone the lives of children, that they'd commit a crime like this."
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Detectives spent countless hours investigating the shooting, the police chief said. Automated license plate readers and surveillance camera footage were key to solving the case, he said.
In a statement, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson described Eric as "a vibrant and joyful child who deserved to grow up and reach his full potential. In his honor, we must hold those responsible accountable and continue to prioritize and invest in opportunities for our youth to thrive."
"They just at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's very puzzling because they have no respect for kids. To be the age that they are. Just drive up on little kids and shoot at that. They can tell that the little kids weren't gangbangers," said Eric Brown, Sr.
City News Service contributed to this report.