Two Suspects Arrested in connection with Lime Avenue Murder

Homicide detectives have arrested two male suspects following a stabbing incident which resulted in the murder of one male victim.

LONG BEACH – On Jan. 13, detectives from the Special Investigations Division located and arrested two suspects involved in the Jan. 2 murder of a male adult in his 40s. The victim’s identity has not yet been confirmed and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s is working on determining his identity.

Homicide detectives gathered significant evidence related to the murder and arrested Diego Martinez, a 29-year-old resident of Long Beach near the 700 block of East 7th Street and Federico Chavez, a 23-year-old resident of Long Beach near the 700 block of Atlantic Avenue. Martinez and Chavez were each booked on one count of murder and are being held in the Long Beach City Jail on $2,000,000 bail.

While the motive is still under investigation, detectives believe the victim and suspects were known to each other and were involved in a verbal dispute which escalated into a fight. That fight further escalated into a stabbing.

Detectives anticipate presenting their case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office early next week for filing consideration.

The arrests follow the incident on Jan. 2 when at approximately 3:45 a.m., officers responded to a report of a man yelling for help in an alleyway near the 700 block of Lime Avenue, which resulted in the death of a male adult.

The calling party stated they were awoken by a male voice yelling for help, and as they looked towards the direction the voice was coming from, they could see two dark figures running away. Officers arrived on scene and located a man suffering from apparent stab wounds to his upper body, who was conscious and breathing at the time.

Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and transported the man to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Homicide Detectives Michael Hubbard or Leonel Valdez at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or by visiting www.LACrimeStoppers.org