Death Of 73-Year-Old Injured In Long Beach Robbery Now Ruled Homicide, Police Say

LONG BEACH, CA — The death of a 73-year-old man who suffered a fatal injury during an April robbery at his Long Beach home is now being investigated as a homicide, police announced Tuesday.

Officers responded to a report of a robbery on April 20 shortly after 9:40 p.m., the Long Beach Police Department said.

Initial investigation showed that the man, later identified as Jose Eduardo Viveros, was trying to enter his home “when he was assaulted and robbed by a group of subjects,” according to police.

During the altercation, Viveros' spinal cord was injured, police said.

Long Beach Fire rescuers took Viveros to a hospital, police said, adding that he died months later on Sept. 17.

The Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner notified detectives on Dec. 23 that the manner of death had been ruled a homicide, “caused by blunt force trauma sustained from the assault,” according to police.

Police said an investigation is ongoing.

The suspects are believed to be three to four men and possibly one woman who seemed to have stayed in the area after the incident, police said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Homicide Detectives Ethan Shear or Kelsey Myers at (562) 570-7244.

'He Fell In Love With The Beach'

Viveros grew up in Puebla, Mexico, and later moved to Mexico City, “where he developed a warm and friendly personality-his smile and laughter were unforgettable,” his obituary says.

He met his wife in Mexico City, and the couple had a son and a daughter, according to his obituary.

“Eventually, he decided to pursue the American Dream and arrived in Paramount, California, before finally settling in Long Beach, where he fell in love with the beach (he loved swimming),” his obituary says. “There, he embraced new opportunities while staying deeply connected to his heritage.”