Corderell McKnight arrested Sunday evening after shooting woman in Long Beach
By Sam Catanzaro
Police arrested a murder suspect in a Mar Vista Starbucks following a car chase that began in Long Beach.
As reported by CBS, the pursuit of the suspect–wanted by Long Beach police for murder–began in Long Beach Sunday around 7:15 p.m. After starting on Long Beach Boulevard, the pursuit continued on the I-405 Freeway northbound, with the suspect reaching speeds up to 100 mph.
The suspect exited the freeway in the Mar Vista area and then exited the vehicle after pulling into a cul de sac on Stoner Avenue, just north of Navy Street. He then fled on foot and could be seen jumping over fences through backyards in the neighborhood before appearing to assault a woman walking her dog. He also attempted carjacking a vehicle driving through the area.
Around 7:50 p.m., the suspect ran into a Starbucks full of customers on Barrington Avenue and National Boulevard. Police arrived seconds later and arrested the suspect.
According to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), prior to the chase, at around 3:30 p.m., officers responded to a strip mall in the 6600 block of Cherry Avenue regarding a person who had been stabbed. The victim, an adult female, later succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.
LBPD Detectives responded to the scene and began collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
“Detectives learned the victim was seated in a vehicle within the strip mall when the suspect approached the vehicle on foot. The suspect then fired multiple rounds through the vehicle, directed at the victim. Another occupant was in the vehicle with the victim and was physically unharmed,” LBPD said.
At approximately 7:12 p.m., officers received information that the suspect was observed in a vehicle in the 2800 block of Long Beach Boulevard.
“Officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle fled and officers initiated a Department-authorized vehicle pursuit. The pursuit entered the 405 Freeway and was handed off to the California Highway Patrol after approximately twenty minutes.”
According to the LBPD, the suspect is Corderell McKnight, a 32-year-old resident of the City of Wilmington. He was booked into the Long Beach City Jail for one count of murder and is currently being held on $2,000,000 bail.
“Detectives learned the victim and suspect were long-time acquaintances, and the suspect specifically sought out and targeted the victim,” LBPD said.
The victim is only being identified as a female adult in her 30s pending positive identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
