A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 21 for a man and a woman charged with murder in connection with a drive-by shooting in Long Beach that killed a 12-year-old boy and injured a 14-year-old girl.
Reshawn Jonae Strother, 20, of Cypress, is charged with one count of murder, three counts of attempted murder, one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, one count of unlawful firearm activity, one count of carrying a loaded firearm, and one count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
Prosecutors are alleging Mr. Strother personally used a handgun.
Destenee Sheree Scipio, 21, is charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime.
Mr. Strother is being held in lieu of $6 million bail and Ms. Scipio in lieu of $4 million bail, according to Los Angeles County 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.
Eric Brown was killed and the 14-year-old girl was injured. The 13-year-old escaped injury. The suspects left the scene.
Eric Brown, 12, was killed in a shooting in Long Beach, Calif. on May 9, 2023. (Courtesy of the Long Beach Police Department)
“We believe this incident stemmed from an earlier gang altercation not involving the victims,” Long Beach Police Department Chief Wally Hebeish said on July 7 in announcing arrests in the case, adding that Mr. Strother is a documented gang member, and Ms. Scipio is believed to be his girlfriend. He stressed that the victims had no gang ties.
“This incident was devastating for our entire community,” Mr. 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.”
Charges in the case were announced on July 10 by District Attorney George Gascón.
“These two individuals stand accused of a heinous act of violence that shattered the lives of innocent children,” Mr. Gascón said. “With callous disregard for human life, they allegedly orchestrated an attack that claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy and left a 14-year-old girl wounded.
“Today, we begin the process of holding them accountable for their actions. We will seek justice for the victims, their families, and our community, as we strive to ensure that such senseless acts of violence have no place in our society,” said Mr. Gascón.
