Christopher Cordova, a 27-year-old resident of South Gate, California, was found dead on April 26, 2021, in the Long Beach harbor. His body was discovered floating near the 1100 block of Pier F Avenue at around 10 a.m. The body was already decomposing when it was found on the water’s edge near Fire Station 15. Authorities determined that Cordova had been shot, leading to a homicide investigation.
The investigation into Cordova's death led to multiple arrests.
Initially, five individuals were taken into custody on suspicion of their involvement in the murder. On September 1, 2022, Long Beach police arrested 29-year-old Miguel Gallardo from Lynwood and 33-year-old Yessica Hernandez from Anaheim. Gallardo was charged with one count of murder, while Hernandez was charged with being an accessory to murder. Their bails were set at $2 million and $1 million, respectively. On September 13, 2022, 24-year-old Tatiana Pinon from Norwalk was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to murder, with her bail set at $1 million. Two other suspects, 37-year-old Christopher Deckard from Arcadia and 38-year-old Richard Granados from Norwalk, were already in custody on unrelated charges but were later charged with one count of murder each, with their bails set at $2 million.
The investigation revealed that the murder was believed to be gang-related, carried out for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal street gang. The Long Beach Police Department continued to gather evidence and, on December 13, 2022, arrested a sixth suspect, 42-year-old Adrian Chavez from Norwalk. Chavez was charged with one count of murder and held on $3 million bail. Authorities believe there may still be additional suspects involved in the case and have urged the public to provide any information that could assist in the investigation.
The case against the suspects was presented to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, which filed the respective charges. The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives continuing to seek leads and gather evidence to ensure all individuals involved in Cordova's murder are brought to justice. The community has been encouraged to come forward with any information that could aid in solving the case, highlighting the collaborative effort between law enforcement and the public in addressing gang-related violence and ensuring justice for the victim and his family.
