An ex-con was charged today with the murder of a former Long Beach City College football player who was shot in the drive-thru lane of a fast-food restaurant last fall.
Edward Jacobs is accused of killing Guy Eugene Alford III, 20, of Hawthorne, who was shot about 12:15 a.m. Sept. 26, 2018, at a Jack-in-the-Box near 52nd Street and Atlantic Boulevard in Long Beach.
The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery, along with an allegation that Jacobs personally and intentionally discharged a handgun, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Jacobs — who prosecutors say has prior convictions from 2011 for robbery and 2015 for attempted robbery — is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against the 30-year-old Lynwood resident, who was ordered to be held without bail while awaiting arraignment Nov. 5 in a Long Beach courtroom.
He was arrested last Friday by Long Beach police in connection with the killing.
Surveillance video from a nearby location showed Alford’s blue Chevrolet Impala in the restaurant’s drive-thru lane when a second vehicle pulled up behind and three suspects got out, one of whom then went to the driver’s side and opened fire. Alford then slumped to the side as four passengers exited his car and the three suspects got back into their vehicle, which left the area.
Alford apparently got out of the car in the parking lot, then collapsed and died.
“Based on their investigation, detectives believe Jacobs approached Alford with the intent of committing a robbery, which ultimately resulted in Alford being shot by Jacobs,” according to a police statement.
The LBCC football program mourned the Inglewood native’s death on its Twitter feed in a posting that read: “A very sad day for our Viking family. Senseless violence. ‘May the choirs of Angels come to greet you Guy!’ Great team player but a better person! StopThisNonSense Prayers go out to his family and friends from his LBCC family.”
The team’s defensive backs coach, Darnell Lacy, wrote on his page, “Tired of the cowards! This dude didn’t deserve this.”
Lacy told the Long Beach Post that Alford had hoped to transfer to a four-year school and continue playing football. Alford’s father told The Post that his son was trying to finish his associate’s degree at LBCC, then pursue a nursing degree.
Former LBCC defensive backs coach James Wheeler, who coached Alford for two years, said in a Twitter post: “This was honestly a good, good kid and this one really hurts.”
Alford’s family and friends held a vigil for him a day after the shooting.
