Juvenile Arrested in Series of Rapes in Long Beach

Long Beach Police arrested a juvenile Tuesday in a series of rapes and robberies committed in the city’s Belmont Heights area over the last three weeks, authorities said.

The 16-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld because of his age, was connected with the crimes by “certain items of evidence,” which police declined to disclose.

One police source, however, said the evidence included a handgun found in an undisclosed location after the arrest.

According to a terse police announcement, members of the career criminal apprehension team arrested the young man and turned him over to the sex crimes detail, which will investigate his possible connection with the afternoon rapes of five young women as they returned home from work.

The first sexual assault occurred Feb. 21 in the 3200 block of Colorado Street.

In the following week, attacks were reported on Gaviota Avenue, East 1st Street and Livingston Drive, police said.

All of the victims were threatened with a handgun.

In two cases, the attacker rode a bicycle. In the third case, the attacker was driving a stolen car. Another victim was assaulted when she entered a vacant rental unit to inspect it, police said.