Police Need Help Finding Shooter Who Killed Mother, Daughter In Long Beach
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Police need your help finding the gunman who shot and killed a mother and her four-year-old daughter in Long Beach.
The makeshift memorial at 9th Street and Locust Avenue, where the victims were ambushed Saturday night, continued to grow 48 hours after the double shooting.
The victims have been identified as 26-year-old Carina Mancera and four-year-old Jennabel Anaya.
The victims' boyfriend and father, Luis Anaya, was with them but was not hurt.
"He just shot my girls," said Anaya. "There's no reason for somebody to take a little girl's life."
Anaya said he and his family had just returned from grocery shopping. He parked his car on 9th Street, the three of them were walking toward their apartment when he realized he left a shopping bag in his car.
When he went to get it, he heard gunshots. He immediately turned and ran toward a man, who he said had a gun. That man also shot at him but missed and took off.
Anaya said that was when he saw his girlfriend and daughter lying on the street covered in blood. He began screaming.
"He shot her at close range because she died. I turned around she was already dead," the grieving Anaya recalled.
"Amazing people. My cousin was always so happy. She loved going out. My niece always playing with my six-year-old son. They had amazing bonds," Mancera's cousin, Araceli Meza, said as she wept. "It's really hard for us. We just lost two innocent lives."
Long Beach police said there is security video of the shootings they hope will help them identify and arrest the killer.
Sgt. Robert Woods said the ambush was not gang-related and that the victims were shot at near point-blank range.
"This one baffles me. I've been doing it for a little while, and it baffles me," Woods added.
Detectives need your help finding the shooter. Call them at (562) 570-7244 if you have seen or heard anything.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for the funerals. Click here to donate.
