Man Pleads Not Guilty in Shooting Death of Alleged Accomplice During Burglary

A man pleaded not guilty today to murder and other charges stemming from a burglary in which his alleged accomplice was shot to death by an 80-year-old Long Beach man whose home was being ransacked.

Gus Polly Adams, 26, of Long Beach, is charged with one felony count each of murder, first-degree residential robbery, first-degree residential burglary, grand theft firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The homeowner, Tom Greer, was beaten July 22 after interrupting the burglary at his home in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach.

Greer armed himself with a gun and fired at least one shot at the intruders while they were still inside the home, then fatally shot Adams’ alleged accomplice, Andrea Miller, 28, of Long Beach, as they ran out of the house, police said.

Greer told police that Miller was pleading for her life, saying that she was going to have a child. An autopsy determined that she was not pregnant.

Adams was arrested by Long Beach police the following day.

Adams’ mother, Ruby Adams, 50, is accused of acting as a lookout during the crime. She was arrested July 24 and pleaded not guilty to one count each of first-degree residential robbery and first-degree residential burglary.

The two are due back in a Long Beach courtroom Oct. 21, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require them to stand trial.

Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to file any charges against the homeowner, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Police said that Greer suffered a broken collarbone and minor cuts and bruises.

Police said the homeowner told authorities that his house had been burglarized three times before the deadly encounter and that he believed the two were responsible for the prior break-ins and might return in the future.

--City News Service

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