Eight Youths Charged in Boardwalk Assault

Eight youths in all were arrested in connection with two robberies and assaults on the boardwalk last month, according to Long Beach Police Department press release on Wednesday. 

• Shawn Persaud, 16, of Long Beach was arrested and charged with second-degree robbery on Oct. 6.

• Eric Wiener, 16, of Long Beach was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree robbery and second-degree gang assault at Ocean Beach Park on Oct. 7.

• Desmond Moore, 16, of Long Beach was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree robbery and second-degree gang assault at Ocean Beach Park on Oct. 7.

• Nasuant Mitchell, 16, of Long Beach was arrested and charged with second-degree robbery at Ocean Beach Park on Oct. 7

• Vincent Moore, 19, of Long Beach was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery and gang assault at Ocean Beach Park on Oct. 11.

•  A Jaquell McNeal, 17, of Cambria Heights was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree robbery and gang assault at Ocean Beach Park on Oct. 10.

• Two juveniles from Long Beach were arrested in connection with the two incidents and their names are withheld due to their age.  

Persaud and Mitchell were arrested for an incident on the boardwalk on Sept. 17; the other youths were arrested in connection with a second incident there on Sept. 19.

According to police, a group of young males on Sept. 17 approached a jogger on the boardwalk near Long Beach Boulevard, grabbed him from behind and threw him to the ground, and during the attack his cell phone and a small amount of cash was stolen. The police said the victim suffered minor injuries.

The second robbery on Sept. 19 also involved a jogger on the boardwalk, at Lincoln Boulevard, who was knocked to the ground by a group of young males who kicked and punched him while he was down. During the attack his iPhone was stolen. The jogger suffered an eye injury that threatened his vision and required surgery, a person who knows the victim told Patch.  

"When these crimes were perpetrated in September, following the summer season, the Long Beach detectives and Street Crimes Unit were relentless in investigating these incidents to ensure that the individuals would be brought to justice," Detective Lieutenant James Canner, commanding officer of the LBPD's Detective Division, said in a statement.

Canner said that following these incidents, uniformed patrol units were increased on the boardwalk and those additional patrols continue today. In the same statement, Commissioner Thomas Sofield Sr. said that plans are in the works to create a system in which cameras will monitor the entire boardwalk 24 hours, seven days a week.

“This video monitoring system will not replace but enhance all the measures that are currently in place to protect our citizens and visitors on the boardwalk," he said.

* This story was updated from the original version on Oct. 12 at 4:15 p.m.