LBPOST.com: Two Suspects Arrested In Melody Ross Murder Case

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Two Suspects Arrested In Melody Ross Murder Case

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 11.04.09 |

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Two 16-year old males have been arrested in connection with last Friday night's shooting at Wilson High School that took the life of 16-year old student Melody Ross and injured two males aged 18 and 20.

Police say the two suspects were arrested around 4:30pm today, and are members of a street gang that began fighting with a rival gang outside the school following a football game. The suspects were not together when arrested, and were taken in without incident.

One of the suspects is from Long Beach and the other is from Bellflower. Neither were students at either Wilson High or Poly High, and officers dispelled rumors that the suspects belonged to an Asian gang.

"I can tell you that the shooter will be charged with murder, and certainly attempted murder for the two that were injured," said Lieutenant Lloyd Cox. Detectives will file the case with the District Attorney tomorrow. It is too early to tell whether the suspects will be tried as juveniles or adults.

Deputy Chief William Blair estimated that between 400 and 500 people were gathered at the scene of the shooting when it occurred, but just six witnesses came forward to provide detectives with information on the night of the shooting.

Over the last few days, more witnesses have begun to cooperate, he said. Police are still continuing the investigation and looking for anyone who may have been involved in the altercation that led to the shooting.

Many City officials were present during the conference and expressed words of gratitude to the police department. Councilmember Gary DeLong, whose 3rd District encompasses Wilson High School, issued a stern warning to gang members.

"The leadership of Long Beach needs to send a clear message to gang-bangers and other criminals," he said. "You are not wanted in Long Beach, you are not welcome and we will make your life miserable every day that you remain."

LBPOST.com covered the press conference live below.

Final Update | 7:26pm: Cox: Melody's race played no part. Rumors that the shooting was done by Asian gang members are untrue. Races of the suspects are not released. I can tell you the shooter will be charged with murder and certainly attempted murder for the two that were injured.

Update | 7:26pm: Lloyd Cox, LBPD homicide lieutenant: "There's nothing to show this involved anything between these two schools (Wilson and Poly).

Update | 7:22pm: Kreng Krich, a Ross family spokesperson: "The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the larger Long Beach community for their overwhelming support. It tremendously helped the mother and family as they grieved the loss of their daughter."

Update | 7:21pm: Arrests occurred around 4:30pm. The two suspects were not together but were both taken without incident.

Update | 7:16pm: Suspects are members of a gang that recognized rivals in the crowd and left the school grounds to fight outside. Shooting followed.

Update | 7:15pm: It appears that the two injured young people were intended targets.

Update | 7:13pm: Two arrests were made. One 16-year-old male from Long Beach and one 16-year-old male from Bellflower.

Update | 7:09pm: Councilmember Gary DeLong: "I have never had a doubt that our world class officers would catch the criminals who committed this act. The leadership of Long Beach needs to send a clear message to gang-bangers and other criminals: you are not wanted in Long Beach, you are not welcome and we will make your life miserable everyday that you remain."

Update | 7:06pm: Police Chief Billy Quach: "We have a huge break in the case."

Update | 7:05pm: Huge group of Ross' friends and family (pictured right). About 30 people.

Update | 6:59pm: Melody Ross' parents just arrived.

Update | 6:53pm: LBPD caught the suspect at 4:30pm tonight just before a candlelight vigil for Melody Ross at Wilson High School.

Update | 6:16pm: LBPOST.com will cover the press conference live on this page starting at 7:00pm.

Update | 6:05pm: The Press-Telegram is reporting that police have arrested a 16-year old male.

Related Stories:

11.02.09 Reward For Info About Shooting Increases To $20,000
11.02.09 $10K Reward Offered For Information In Fatal Shooting
11.02.09 Search For Wilson High Shooter Continues
10.31.09 Wilson Student Killed Outside School In Shooting
10.30.09 Friday Night Shootings: One At Wilson High, One Officer-Involved

Comments

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45 Comments so far.

NA
I hope its the right guy and I hope he gets what he deserves. So terrible.

anon
Fingers crossed that they catch the person who did this and that the family will be able to get some closure.

Nikol
Please keep us updated. Hopefully this arrest will be the right person and that we can begin to move on as a community and stop the violence.

Melissa
Yes, fingers and toes crossed. I hope that this IS the person who did it and that a quick resolution will bring some sense of relief to her family, friends and the community.

Nikol
Another 16yr old? OMG what is going on.

Sander
This is a sad and hollow victory. A child with a gun killing another child is a tragedy. This boy's family must be also be grieving, and my heart goes out to them. I hope we learn more about this boy so we can find creative and impactive ways of preventing this kind of thing in the future.

Anonymous
She went to my school. I didn't know her. Buut i don't need to , to know she was a great girl. I hope this is the guy. & he gets what he deserves maybe even more :/

Nikki
hopefully they caught the actual guy that committed the crime. this is a tragic time for melody's family and the entire wilson student body,and the family deserves justice.

Anonymous
If this is the right person, I have no sympathy for him at all. If he gets off on some technicality for being a minor, all kind of hell is going to be raised.

Adriana
i was leaving melodys candle vigil when i was told that the guy was cuaght and i was so thrilled! melody r.i.p. sweetheart you didnt deserve this!

Anonymous
I hope that they get the right person and not someone who they "think" it is and I hope someone speaks up instead of taking the wrap for someone so they wont look like a "snitch".

Amy
Melody, you will have your closure! Those bastards will get what is coming to them. Gangs will never and should never be accepted! Whether they are fighting for "good" things or not, they will always bring harm and pain! I held a candle for you tonight Melody; you will forever be missed, you and your "hellos."

Michelle
We love you soooo much Melody! I hope you were watching over us today. Tori misses you soo much. like what Tori said, "everyone says you're in a better place, but you're place is here with us at home!" R.I.P. Melody<33333

LB
Which gangs? Are they from Poly or Wilson? Will they stand trial as adults? Hope so. Punks.

Kyle
hope this is the rite guy....i go 2 wilson nd its terrible the feeling there...so muh hate nd sadness.... these assholes think it's cool 2 kill other students well screw them....melody justice will b served

Teacher
It's tough for me to read the comments that celebrate to any degree. Yes, it's good that arrests have been made. No, Melody will not have closure. She's not around to do so. It's true that a human pulled the trigger, but had the gun not been around, it couldn't have happened. Why is there such resistance to ending the manufacturing and sales of weapons. Can't people sacrifice that right in the interest of human life?

Esteban
Not politically correct, but it will be interesting to find out the background of these individuals including their ethnicities.

LILLYLB
Thank you for the coverage.

Ezra
The saddest part is that they put an end to three lives.

sick and tired
why are they afraid to tell us the race of the shooter & what school he attends? It would help stop all the rumours going around.

csws
I dont go to Wilson but hearts and prayers go out to Melody, her family, and Wilson, themselves. May she come to justice and rest in peace.

lauren
r.i.p melody!

JR Salazar
The countdown concludes. I'm sipping my champagne, freshly imported from the wineries of a place called Justice.

gJ
The article speaks of a 7:16 update that the members of a gang recognized rivals and left school grounds to fight. I just want to make the point that gangs no longer fight they are not tough guys they are weak fatherless wimps who travel in packs with firepower to prove they are tough. I am tired of hearing about these weak soulless jokers. I would like to publicly challenge any of these fools to a real fight anywhere any time. Make the post prove your toughness, otherwise put the guns down, be a man, get an education, stop blaming everyone else, end the handouts, start taking responsibility for your place in society!!!

PissedGuy
I'm so sick of people trying to understand the "problem" of gangs. They are animals and their parents are animals too for raising such trash and not putting down the hammer on them. When my kid gets to Junior High age I will move us out of this twisted town. If my kid joins a gang, I'll send him to a military academy or strangle him myself. We should have ZERO tolerence for these aninimal gangs. Membership in a known criminal street gang should be a felony without any other crime committed. Any punk with a shaved head and tattoes should be water boarded until the scum divulges every other member. Then they should all be rounded up and put on San Clemente Island to fen for themselves and kill each other away from the human beings. It's time to clean house and take out the trash.

JR Salazar
So now the six of them will have to split the 20k six ways. Hmmmm... Wonder how that will work.

godblessmelody
to the six who stepped forward to identify...you are heros. LB would have nothing but unresolved sadness and anger without you.

LM
I hope they seek the death penalty!

JR Salazar
Adding to godblessmelody's comment, split the money wisely. After all, you never know when it will come handy when paying for part of your college tuition, among other things.

Another concerned parent
I'm not clear why it is so hard to understand why if 'between 400 and 500 people were gathered only six came forward.' In a crowd that size, it seems one might not have 'seen' anything nor seen the 'shooter'. I heard first hand from a parent in that crowd, not yards from the crosswalk, who said once she heard the shots - she, like everyone else, tried to protect herself and her child, and run in the other direction. She could not 'see' the shooter, could not 'see' who was shot. I would think only the few who were right there (in the middle of the 'fight') would be able to actually identify anyone involved. The most ridiculous part is it was necessary to 'pay' a reward for anyone to come forward. How sad for our youth, our future, that this is the way things are...

Teacher
More than anything it starts with the parents. I see great parents from poor communities and unfit parents from middle class neighborhoods. Of great significance to this perpetual cycle of violence in Long Beach, Oakland, LA and every big city are unfit parents. Yes, there are unfit parents everywhere but in urban cities there are bigger concentrations and thus more problems. No discipline or guidance in the household is an indicator of a future gang member. I see it everyday; parents come in drunk, do not respond to phone calls and take no responsibility for there children. This is both sad and overwhelming on our schools and communities. That poor, young beautiful girl Melody Ross is an example of the complications from such a messed up system here in our communities. These kids are born in non-loving households and seek approval and attention anyway they can get it. They go through the juvenile system then off to some horrendous place like Pelican Bay to spend the rest of there lives in a cement block looking up at gray skies through a crack, regretting that they pulled the trigger. Recently, this year Jerry Stone a future D-1 football player from Lakewood H.S. was arrested for gang violence. What is more sad is the video taping of innocent students getting brutally beat on camera by multiple adults while walking home from school bus stops. It is prevalent throughout our community and as a resident I can recognize this. Whatever it takes we need to invest in our youth as our teacher's plates are full. As a community we need to look after each other and say we will not tolerate this stupidity and violence in our local communities especially in gang infested areas like central Long Beach. Through out class I hear students talking about how they are from the East Side Cuh and next week it is their "C" day, because saying "B" day would infer recognizing the bloods gang. Is gang lingo and mentality part of Long Beach youth culture in some way? I must say it is from all the thousands of comments I hear from hundreds of kids. Community programs through the YMCA, Boys and Girls club, Wrap, Camp HI-Hill and after school programs let at-risk kids escape the misery of home and find refuge in something positive. With funding cuts across the board and suspension of these programs, relief for these problems is a faraway reality. Until then we should mourn the loss of what exemplified a Long beach student and outstanding person with a lifetime of achievement ahead of her, Melody Ross.

Carol
RE: Pissedguy. You are SO RIGHT!! I will never understand how the gangs just keep growing with nothing in place to put a stop to it. How hard would it be to at least enforce curfew, loitering, not to mention arresting gangbangers for anything and everything instead of trying to WORK with them. Gary DeLong, I hope you can help make them miserable if they stay in Long Beach, but it will be brushed aside after this all dies down, sadly. Just like every other shooting.

Mike
I went to Wilson for 3 years - a long time ago. I am so sad for her parents. I can't imagine what they must be going thru. Our prayers are with them. My god, we hope they have caught the right people. Rest in peace, Melody.

Equalizer
You need a license to drive a car, pilot a plane, have a business or be in business, etc. etc. A license should be required to have a child. One should have to attend a parenting class, show financial ability, and prove ability to parent. If the shooter had proper parenting this more than likley would not have happened.

Ryan K
well done Zum. What a horrible situation for all families involved. I try and dispel the connotations that the LBC has all the way out here on the East Coast, but incidents like these make it hard to explain to people that Long Beach really has come a very long way since the early 90's.

Thary
My deepest condolence go to the surviving family and relatives. May her soul rest in peace. We must overcome hate, violence, fighting and cruelty.

Angry Parent
If the police have the right punks in custody, they need to be tried as adults. They don't deserve a break. Melody certainly didn't get one.

Lakewood Volleyball
The gun didnt kill melody, the person did!

Artie
I understand it's up to the D.A. to determine if these scumbags should be tried as adults. Not in my wildest imagination can I believe the D.A. would even remotely consider trying them as juveniles. To do so would mean that they would be released from custody by age 25. The cowardly gangbangers who committed this horrible crime should get life in prison without parole. Personally, I'd like to see them get the death penalty but that's not possible when dealing with juveniles. And once again, to the people who believe we should scrap the 2nd Amendment and surrender our firearms, all that would accomplish would be the disarming of law abiding citizens. Criminals would never have a problem obtaining weapons. And they would be gloating knowing that no one could protect themselves anymore.

Dave in Alamitos Beach
There's got to be a way to charge the parents and the fellow gang members in this case. If DeLong is serious about his threat, he should make it a priority. Since it's a murder to further the status of the gang, the entire gang should be tried for criminal conspiracy and perhaps even accessories to the murder. As for the parents, I don't think raising gang members is per se a crime, but surely they (she?) could be arrested for aiding and abetting after the fact, or for withholding evidence, failure to cooperate with the police, etc.

lbresident
as always, Dave in Alamitos Beach makes sense. Things need to change. Let the crack down begin on street terrorists and their accomplices (ie. family and friends)

Anonymous One
RE: LB what difference does it make what school they attended it's obvious you're not reading or wathching the news. The last school attended for this young man was Wilson High, which has no signifigance to the incident.

lbresident
Anonymous One, I think the last school he attended was Mayfair, not Wilson.

Ed
What does the NRA have to say? They have all the answers.

Anonymous
They should both be tried as adults!!! They know EXACTLY what they were doing, and they know RIGHT from WRONG!!!! Throw the book at them!!!

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.

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