A suspect in the slaying of a 38-year-old man in Long Beach last month has been identified and captured, and he is being held on a multi-million dollar bond, police announced Friday.
Homicide detectives had been searching for Durell Shell’s killer since he was shot multiple times on Feb. 19 in the 1400 block of Locust Avenue.
“Through their investigation, Homicide detectives identified the suspect as Edgar Melgar Salazar, a 28-year-old resident of Long Beach,” the Long Beach Police Department said in its news release.
On Thursday, Special Investigations Division detectives, combined with the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, arrested Salazar at his home.
Investigators initially believed the shooting to be gang-related but said Friday that the motive and circumstances were still unknown.
“While the investigation remains ongoing, detectives do not believe the suspect and victim were previously known to one another,” police said.
Salazar was transported to Long Beach City Jail and booked on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $3 million.
Anyone with further information on the case was urged to contact Homicide Detective Reyes at 562-570-7244. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go to the lacrimestoppers.org website.
