3:01pm | The body of a homeless man who was killed in Los Angeles was discovered inside of a vehicle parked in Long Beach near the harbor early Sunday morning, Long Beach police said.
 
Marine Patrol officers with the Long Beach Police Department were preparing to tow a vehicle parked in the 500 block of Queensway Drive at about 12:30 a.m. June 19 when they saw the body and called homicide detectives to the scene, according to information provided by LBPD spokeswoman Lisa Massacani.

The victim has only been identified as a 19-year-old black male transient. Any further information was being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

Massacani said that, based on preliminary evidence, detectives and the coroner’s office believe the cause of death was likely blunt force trauma. The exact cause of death will be determined upon completion of a full autopsy.

By Sunday afternoon, Long Beach homicide detectives were able to identify the man suspected of killing the victim, a 31-year-old male friend of the victim who is also homeless. The suspect was taken into custody by Los Angeles police Sunday night at about 7:15 p.m., Massacani said.

The suspect’s name was not released.

Because the murder occurred in Los Angeles and the body was discovered in Long Beach, the LBPD and the Los Angeles Police Department have teamed to work the case, Massacani said.

Anyone with information relaltive to this incident is asked to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans or Todd Johnson at 562-570-7244, or Los Angeles Police Homicide Detectives Sammy Marullo or John Jamison 213-485-4341.  
 
Anonymous tips may be submitted via text, e-mail, or the web at  LongBeach.gov/police, or directly to Tipsoft at Tipsoft.com.