A 29-year-old man from Huntington Beach has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young man in Long Beach on Sunday, authorities announced.
The incident occurred at around 12:45 a.m. at Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurant on the corner of 2nd Street and Covina Avenue.
The suspect, identified by police as Brandon Nguyen, was arrested Monday at Los Angeles International Airport and booked into Long Beach Jail, a news release from the Long Beach Police Department confirmed.
A search warrant was later executed at Nguyen’s residence, though authorities did not provide any information on evidence recovered at the location.
While it’s not clear exactly what happened, police say an altercation broke out at the restaurant that resulted in the fatal stabbing of the victim, identified by family members as 20-year-old Adrian Hernandez of Long Beach.
Video of the aftermath obtained by KTLA depicted a chaotic scene with Hernandez laying on the floor as paramedics attempted to treat his severe stab wounds.
Authorities say officers responded to the incident within minutes and tried to render medical aid to the victim. Hernandez was rushed to the hospital by the Long Beach Fire Department where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Working in cooperation with local businesses in the area, investigators recovered security footage that led to Ngyuen’s identification and apprehension.
Hernandez, according to his family, had just gotten off work and decided to go out with friends for dinner in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood.
Juan Quintero, Hernandez’s godfather, said the hardworking 20-year-old, who recently graduated high school, was coming to the defense of several young women who were being harassed by a group of men.
“The young ladies that he was with were getting harassed, so the man that he was, the gentleman he was, he defended their honor,” he told KTLA’s Omar Lewis.
Friends who were with Hernandez told family that the argument seemed to be over and that the men harassing the women left, so they got a table. Moments later, they say the group returned wearing hoodies, began arguing with the 20-year-old and stabbed him to death.
“He did not deserve this. I just want to wake up from this bad dream,” Quintero said. “To do that and run off, it’s just cowardly. I’m glad they got caught.”
The family, who say their world has been shattered by this tragedy, has organized a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of funeral expenses.
“We will not tolerate acts of violence in our community, and we will commit all available resources to ensuring that those responsible for crimes like this are held accountable,” said Chief of Police Wally Hebeish.
This is the second killing in the 15-block stretch of the Long Beach entertainment district in two weeks. On Feb. 17, a man was shot and killed outside Dogz Bar and Grill after another confrontation. Authorities say they have increased patrols in Belmont Shore in response to the violence.
“We will not tolerate acts of violence in our community, and we will commit all available resources to ensuring that those responsible for crimes like this are held accountable,” said Chief of Police Wally Hebeish.
Nguyen was booked for murder and is being held without bail.