Suspect arrested for San Pedro beach shooting that injured 5

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police said Tuesday a suspect was arrested in connection with a shooting at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro that left five men injured and prompted the implementation of restricted hours at the seaside location.

The suspect, 22-year-old Jose Ortega, was arrested in Orange County on March 9, five days after the shooting, according to police. Ortega was booked on several charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held on $1 million bail.

The shooting was reported at 5:45 p.m. March 4 at Paseo Del Mar and Graysby Avenue.

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According to the LAPD, several groups of people were gathered at the beach, when two of the groups became involved in a "verbal and physical altercation that ultimately led to a shooting where five individuals were struck by gunfire."

All five victims were taken to hospitals, although three were released by the following day. The status of the other two victims was not immediately available.

Following the shooting, Hahn and McOsker announced that the beach would close at 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays until further notice. The beach will continue to close at dusk Mondays through Thursdays, and all closing times also apply to the beach parking lot, the officials said.

Both officials said there have been previous concerning incidents at the beach.

``We need to balance preserving access to this beach with the demands of public safety," Hahn said in a statement announcing the earlier closing times. ``This shooting was an escalation of a series of problems we have had at Royal Palms. Closing the beach early on weekends is going to help us prevent another tragedy while we work with law enforcement on a long-term strategy."

The shooting ironically occurred just hours after a police gun-buyback event was held in the San Pedro area.