Officers Kill Holdup Suspect in Stakeout

An ex-convict suspected in more than two dozen liquor store holdups was shot and killed by members of a police task force who confronted him outside one of the businesses that they had staked out to capture him, Long Beach authorities said Wednesday.

The suspect, Roger Barrett, 24, died late Tuesday of multiple shotgun blasts fired by two police detectives outside Anchor Liquors at 1908 Santa Fe Ave., Sgt. Bob Bell said.

Police believe Barrett is the man they call the “Ski Mask Bandit,” who was responsible for at least 28 armed holdups of liquor stores in the city’s north and west sections. The robberies began March 29, 10 days after Barrett was paroled from prison after serving a term for a narcotics-related offense, Bell said.