Long Beach Police Arrest Armed Robbery Suspects

LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach police Saturday announced the arrest of two armed robbery suspects, one of whom is allegedly linked to five more robberies at gunpoint.

The two suspects were arrested following an armed robbery Monday at 6598 Cherry Ave., according to a statement from the Long Beach Police Department.

Officers spotted the suspects' vehicle, leading to a brief pursuit when the driver failed to yield, police said. Two men fled when the vehicle struck a curb and came to a stop, and both were arrested. Officers claimed they found a firearm and evidence connecting them to the robbery.

The suspects were identified as James Pierce, 49, of Long Beach and Jose Angel Rios Pinedo, 29, of Maywood.

Pierce was booked for suspicion of resisting a police officer and possessing a controlled substance, police said.

Pinedo was booked for suspicion of robbery, threatening crime with intent to terrorize, firearms charges and reckless driving, police said.

Detectives checked into similar robberies in 2023 and 2024, reviewing surveillance footage and identifying suspect vehicles, and determined Pinedo allegedly was responsible for five others in North Long Beach dating back to July 27, 2023, police said. They served a search warrant on Pinedo's residence and located evidence related to additional robberies.

Anyone with information was asked to call robbery detectives at 562- 570-7464 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

— City News Service