A 42-year-old man has been arrested in last week's death of a woman killed by a stray bullet fired after an argument between two groups in a Long Beach parking lot escalated into violence, police said Sunday.
The suspect was identified as Thomas McCreary of Los Angeles. Detectives believe McCreary shot a firearm at the rival group, which resulted in the death of Anna Perez, 24, who was standing nearby, the Long Beach Police Department reported.
Homicide detectives executed search warrants Friday in Sylmar and Los Angeles, and during their search collected a firearm, which will be analyzed by the Long Beach Crime Lab. A vehicle was impounded during the search and was believed to be involved in the shooting death.
McCreary was booked at the Long Beach City Jail, where he was being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
Officers assigned to the city's downtown entertainment district responded about 2 a.m. on Dec. 1 to a "shots fired'' call in the 300 block of Pacific Avenue and located Perez suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body, said Arantxa Chavarria of the Long Beach Police Department.
Paramedics dispatched to the scene pronounced her dead, Chavarria said. The suspect was last seen leaving the area in a sedan.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting death was urged to call Long Beach police detectives at (562) 570-7244.
