Long Beach detectives release sketches of suspects tied to 2010 murder - Long Beach Press-Telegram
On Sept. 16, the Long Beach Police Department released sketches of two black men believed to be responsible for the slaying of Franklin Robles, who was shot during a robbery in the 1400 block of West 16th Street on Aug. 9, 2010.
Robles was at a West Long Beach auto yard and had just completed the purchase of a used vehicle, found online, when he was approached by two black men who robbed him and shot him, witnesses told police.
The two suspects were seen fleeing the area in a dark van, which was also captured on surveillance video at a nearby business.
The purchase of the used vehicle was legitimate and doesn't appear to be related to the robbery and killing, police said.
It is possible Robles was tailed from his home in Lake Elsinore or after he withdrew the cash, officers said.
A few hours after the slaying, four suspects -- two black men matching the same description given at the scene of the shooting in Long Beach and two Hispanic men -- were seen in a tan SUV at the victim's Lake Elsinore home, which was burglarized, police said.
Investigators believe the burglary and the slaying are connected and Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Todd Johnson went to the
victim's neighborhood and the West Long Beach location where Robles was killed to pass out fliers two weeks ago that included descriptions and composite sketches of the murder suspects.Included were descriptions of both suspect vehicles.
The detectives' work prompted an anonymous tip that led investigators last week to a salvage yard in San Diego County, where the van was scheduled to be broken up for salvage.
The van was immediately seized by authorities and taken to the Long Beach Police Department's evidence yard, where it is undergoing a thorough search, police said last week.
With the van in custody, LBPD officers last week returned to the West Long Beach neighborhood where Robles was killed armed with new fliers including pictures of the van.
And investigators are circulating fliers once again this week, this time with composite sketches of the two Hispanic males seen with at Robles' Elsinore home.
All four suspects are described as:
Suspect #1; a black male, between 35 and 40, around 6 feet tall, 220 to 230 pounds, with short, black hair.
Suspect #2; a black male, 40 to 45 years old, also around 6 feet tall, about 200 pounds and with short gray/black hair.
Suspect #3; a Hispanic male, 5-feet, 5-inches to 5-feet, 9-inches tall, with a medium build, short hair, a small goatee and multiple tattoos on both arms.
Suspect #4; a Hispanic male, 5-feet, 7-inches to 6-feet tall, with a medium build, a shaved head with a pudgy face.
Anyone with information about the case or any of the suspects is urged to call Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans or Todd Johnson at 562-570-7244.
Anonymous tips can be sent via e-mail or text to www.tipsoft.com.
tracy.manzer@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1261.
30 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH6VlF8lXqYu__h8wmDPz_GF1B2PA&url=http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_19005447
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