Pedestrian Killed During Police Pursuit in Long Beach

On Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at approximately 11:10 p.m., officers were involved in a pursuit of a vehicle fleeing the scene of a commercial burglary in progress to a licensed marijuana-related business. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle collided with a pedestrian, resulting in the death of a male adult.

Officers were initially dispatched to a commercial burglary in progress involving multiple suspects in the 2100 block of Gaylord Street. The calling party advised that suspects were inside the business cutting down marijuana plants. Officers arrived on scene within two minutes, detained three male adults outside the business, and requested additional units to assist. Officers also observed a suspect fleeing the scene in a 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE and a pursuit was initiated and approved.

The pursuit lasted approximately five minutes and included both surface streets and the 103 and 710 freeways. During the pursuit, the driver of the Mercedes Benz, who was traveling at a high rate of speed, drove through a red light at 6th Street and Magnolia Avenue and struck a pedestrian that was legally crossing the street while walking his dog. The suspect continued to flee before being involved in a second collision with a fence in the area of Pine Avenue and 6th Street where he was taken into custody. The suspect was believed to be driving while under the influence of drugs during the time of the incident.

Immediately following the collision with the pedestrian, assisting officers rendered aid to the pedestrian until Long Beach Fire Department arrived on scene and determined the pedestrian deceased. The pedestrian’s dog was also found deceased at the scene as a result of the collision.

The pedestrian has been identified as 32-year-old Jose Hernandez from Long Beach.

Officers conducted a search of the business and arrested three additional suspects, for a total of six suspects arrested at the commercial burglary location. 

The suspect who was driving the Mercedes Benz was identified as 26-year-old Jyvante West, from the City of Richmond, and was booked for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit and run resulting in death, driving under the influence of drugs causing injury, evading a police officer, commercial burglary, and conspiracy to commit a crime. West is being held on $100,000 bail.

All of the suspects arrested were from Northern California and were identified as follows:

• 34-year-old Rohnell Robinson, from the City of Richmond, was booked for burglary and is being held on $10,000 bail.
• 34-year-old Samuel Young, from the City of Vallejo, was booked for burglary and is being held on $10,000 bail.
• 26-year-old Michael Bracy, from the City of Hercules, was booked for burglary and is being held on $10,000 bail.
• 23-year-old Alfred Stevens, from the City of Pittsburg, was booked for burglary and is being held on $10,000 bail.
• 38-year-old Deantee James, from the City of Richmond, was booked for burglary and is being held on $10,000 bail.
• 36-year-old Jamel Brown, from the City of Vallejo, was booked for burglary and is being held on $10,000 bail.

The cases will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. Additionally, Burglary Detectives will be investigating a possible connection to other unsolved crimes to marijuana-related businesses in the region. 

Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to contact Detective Kelsey Myers or Detective Shawn Loughlin of the Long Beach Police Department’s Collision Investigation Detail at (562) 570-7355. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or by visiting www.crimestoppers.org.