Suspect arrested in connection to the murder of man in Long Beach store

Long Beach, California – Police in Long Beach said on Saturday that they had apprehended a man they suspected was responsible for the death of another man who was an employee at a local company.

When officers conducted a routine traffic check at the junction of Riverside Drive and Roswell Avenue in Chino on Friday, about 2:35 p.m., they discovered Salvador Rivera, 33, of Wilmington, who was detained. According to the Long Beach Police Department, he was arrested and put into the Long Beach City Jail, where he was being held in lieu of a $2 million bond.

According to officials, Rivera was sought by investigators after they obtained “significant evidence” linking him to the shooting death of 39-year-old Bell resident James Lopez on January 16th.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting outside a business in the 1900 block of Willow Street at around 10:15 p.m. Sunday and discovered Lopez suffering from several gunshot wounds to the upper body. Paramedics transported him to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

According to detectives, Lopez was an employee at the store, and was engaged in a verbal altercation with Rivera, who reportedly fired multiple shots at him. According to the police report, Rivera was last seen leaving the business and running away on foot in an unknown direction.

The Long Beach Police Department is urging anyone with information about the event to contact homicide detectives at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips may be made by calling the Los Angeles Crime Stoppers line at 800-222-8477 or by visiting www.lacrimstoppers.org.