GUILTY CA - Five people shot to death in Long Beach homeless camp, 1 Nov 2008

The killings baffled investigators at the time, as there were no witnesses to the crimes. Now, 31-year-old David Ponce and 25-year-old Max Rafael, who are alleged members of the Nutwood Watts criminal street gang, are charged with the murders.

Authorities say Ponce had an ongoing dispute over drugs with one of the victims, 44-year-old Lorenzo Villicana, and killed the other four victims to ensure there would be no witnesses...

The 2008 victims were identified as:

Vanessa Malaepule, 34 of Carson
Lorenzo Villicana, 44 of Long Beach
Katherine Lynn Verdun, 24 of Long Beach
Frederick Doyle Neumeier, 53 of Long Beach
Hamid Shraifat, 41 of Signal Hill

Click to expand...

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against one of two reputed gang members charged in the shooting deaths of five people at a Long Beach homeless encampment just over five years ago...

Ponce is also charged with the March 23, 2009 kidnapping and murder of Tony Bledsoe of Lancaster, along with two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Ponce and Rafael were also accused of kidnapping Shraifat – who police say was forced at gunpoint to lead the assailants to the encampment where Villicana was living.

Click to expand...