A 34-year-old man suspected of killing a 17-year-old girl who was fatally shot while walking down a Long Beach street was booked Friday on suspicion of murder.
Troy Lamar Fox, of Long Beach, is suspected in the shooting of Briana Soto, who was shot in the upper body around 8:30 p.m. March 26 near the intersection of 11th Street and Lewis Avenue, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The teen was hospitalized in critical condition and died four days later, police said.
According to Long Beach police, DNA, video and cell phone evidence all pointed to Fox as the suspect in the killing. Fox, who was already in custody for an unrelated weapons violation, was transferred Friday to the Long Beach City Jail and booked in connection with the killing.
He was being held in lieu of $2 million bail, police said.
Fox is also suspected in a pair of other crimes that occurred on April 9 and July 7, police said.
On April 9, officers were sent to the 1300 block of Pine Avenue in response to reports of shots fired at three juveniles and an adult in a vehicle. Police said Fox is suspected of firing those shots.
According to police, officers responded July 7 to the intersection of 14th Street and Pine Avenue regarding a report of firearms inside a car. Fox and a juvenile suspect were both located at the scene, and although both were prohibited from possessing a firearm, investigators recovered two guns from the suspects and four other firearms from the vehicle, police said.
Police said Fox was on post-release community supervision for unlawfully possessing a firearm and had an outstanding arrest warrant issued in November 2023 for violating the terms of his release.
“Briana Soto was just 17 years old when she was tragically taken away from her family by a violent individual willing to commit such a reprehensible and brazen act of violence,” Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement. “Briana’s death has left her family devastated and has impacted our department immensely. The detectives, officers, and professional staff assigned to this investigation have utilized every available resource to identify and apprehend this suspect, who we believe is responsible for Briana’s murder, as well as two other gun-related crimes in our community. This suspect has demonstrated a willingness to inflict harm on others and we will be working closely with our partners throughout the criminal justice system to ensure Briana and her family receive the justice they deserve.”
Anyone with additional information was urged to contact LBPD Homicide detectives Ethan Shear or Chasen Contreras at 562-570-7244. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.