Long Beach police arrest suspect in October 2023 murder
The Long Beach Police Department has made an arrest in the October 2023 murder of a 33-year-old man.
Authorities say Joseph Ballard, 23, is responsible for the shooting death of Thomas Ferguson, a resident of Fontana.
The shooting happened on Oct. 22, 2023, around 2:30 p.m. in the area of 14th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.
When officers responded, they found Ferguson suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Police say the investigation revealed that Ballard and Ferguson got into some kind of altercation which led to shots being fired. It’s unclear if they knew each other.
Authorities say there were several witnesses in the area at the time of the shooting, but they were unable to pinpoint a suspect.
As the investigation continued, police say Ballard became a focal point. The 23-year-old was arrested in November 2023 for a separate incident, for which he was sentenced to a state prison.
Detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office last month, and Ballard was transported from the prison to Long Beach City Jail where he was booked for murder.
Ballard will be arraigned next week.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact LBPD Homicide Detectives Jesus Espinoza or Alfredo Chairez at 562-570-7244
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