Elderly Long Beach woman stabbed to death in alley, suspect arrested

LONG BEACH, Calif. - A man suspected of stabbing an elderly Long Beach woman to death was arrested Saturday morning according to the Long Beach Police Department. 

31-year-old Kevin Ngo of Long Beach was arrested on suspicion of murder after leading police on a chase. Officers responded to calls of a stabbing in the 2900 block of Coolidge Street around 6:18 a.m. Saturday. When officers arrived they found 78-year-old Paz Veliz, also of Long Beach, in an alleyway with stab wounds. Paramedics determined that she had died at the scene. 

A witness nearby told officers that they saw someone matching Ngo's description running toward the 91 Freeway. Officers ran after him and eventually took him into custody, using "a use of force to take the suspect into custody," according to Long Beach police. 

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Detectives say that Veliz was collecting recyclables in the alleyway when she was attacked from behind and stabbed. The suspect then ran away when residents began yelling for help. Police say they don't yet know why the stabbing occurred, and they're looking into any potential relationship between Ngo and Veliz. They have determined that the two lived in the same condo complex.

Ngo was booked into the Long Beach City Jail for one count of murder and is currently being held on $2,000,000 bail. Police are still investigating what happened. Anyone with information is asked to call the Long Beach Police Department at 562-570-7244.