Two men have been charged with murder in connection with the death of a street vendor who police said was struck by apparent stray gunfire in a gang-related shooting in Long Beach.
Rahman Snook Abdallah, 19, of Long Beach, and Raylon Deshawn Akers, 23, of Los Angeles, are charged with one count each of murder in the March 20 killing of Yener Ramirez Miranda, along with an allegation that each used a handgun.
Akers is also facing one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
A third man, James Arthur Havlicheck Jr., 33, of Lakewood, is charged with one count of accessory after the fact.
Prosecutors allege that Abdallah and Akers fired multiple rounds in the direction where the victim was selling corn, and that the two fled to Havlicheck’s residence, where he allegedly aided them.
The Long Beach Police Department said the shooting occurred around 4 p.m. March 20 in the 100 block of East Eagle Street, and described Ramirez-Miranda as “an innocent bystander and not involved in gang activity.”
Homicide detectives believe the suspects “fired shots at subjects they believed to be rival gang members,” police said in a statement.
Ramirez-Miranda, 37, died that day at a hospital of a gunshot wound to the head and neck, according to records from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Long Beach police Chief Wally Hebeish said, “Mr. Ramirez-Miranda is the victim of unacceptable gang-related gun violence.”
Police said homicide detectives were able to identify the suspects through an ongoing investigation and use of security camera footage.
Abdallah and Akers were arrested last Thursday in Long Beach, and Havlichek was arrested last Friday in Los Angeles, police said. They have remained behind bars since then, jail records show.
In a statement announcing the charges, District Attorney George Gascón said the victim was “violently taken away from us while simply doing his job.”
“No one should ever fear for their life while trying to make an honest living,” the district attorney said, adding that the victim’s “untimely death is a stark reminder of the violence that can shatter lives and devastate families.”
After the shooting, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson called the victim “a beloved member of the Long Beach community.”
“Safety takes all of us and gun violence is not tolerated in our city,” the mayor said. “As a city, we are committed to disrupting this cycle of gang-related violence and to keeping everyone safe.”