Suspect Serial Long Beach Robbers Caught

LONG BEACH, CA -- Two men were behind bars Monday in connection with multiple business robberies in Long Beach. Cody Joel Ibershoff, 34, of Long Beach, and 51-year-old Jesus Cortez of Compton were arrested Wednesday, according to Long Beach police.

Detectives served search warrants at their homes and recovered three replica firearms, a shotgun and other evidence that tied the two men to a series of robberies that occurred between Nov. 24 and Jan. 3, police said.
Authorities allege the men were armed with handguns during the crimes, each time entering businesses between 8 and 11:30 p.m. and demanding money from employees before fleeing with cash.

No one was injured during the robberies, which took place on:

-- Nov. 24 in the 1400 block of East Pacific Coast Highway
-- Dec. 16 in the 3400 block of Long Beach Boulevard
-- Dec. 18 in the 3100 block of Bellflower Boulevard
-- Jan. 3 in the 2400 block of Bellflower Boulevard
--Jan. 3 in the 4400 block of East Broadway

"Throughout the investigation detectives uncovered similarities in each of the robberies that led them to identify the suspects," according to police.

Cortez was being held in lieu of $1.65 million bail and Ibershoff in lieu of $635,000, according to sheriff's inmate records.

Both men are due in court Jan. 30 in Long Beach, according to the sheriff's department.

--City News Service/Photo via Shutterstock