2 arrested in connection to July slaying in Coolidge Triangle neighborhood, Long Beach police say
Police say they arrested Eric Calvin of Lancaster and Damion Joseph Jr. of Palmdale on suspicion of murder for the fatal shooting of Vernont Murray on July 1.
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting a 39-year-old Long Beach man in the city’s Coolidge Triangle neighborhood in July, police announced Friday.
Police say they believe 23-year-old Eric Calvin of Lancaster and 21-year-old Damion Joseph Jr. of Palmdale are responsible for fatally shooting Vernont Murray in the 6000 block of Long Beach Boulevard the night of July 1.
Police did not say whether Calvin and Joseph knew Murray or why they shot him, but detectives gathered enough evidence over the last couple of months to identity the suspects and serve warrants at residences related to them, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
While serving a warrant out in Lancaster, authorities located Joseph and took him into custody on suspicion of murder, police said.
Calvin had already fled the state when authorities served their warrants in the Palmdale, police said.
But he was ultimately located in New Mexico and also taken into custody in connection to Murray’s killing, according to police.
Several pieces of evidence, meanwhile, were recovered while serving the warrants, according to police, though they did not specify what kind of evidence was found.
Joseph is currently being jailed in lieu of $2 million bail while Calvin is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles County, police said.
Detectives will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office next week for filing consideration, police said.
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