On the night of his 45th birthday, a Long Beach man accused in a 2021 killing allegedly walked away from a quiet celebration, slipped into a homeless encampment and hunted down a reputed Mexican Mafia associate, a detective testified at a preliminary hearing. The Wednesday testimony laid out what prosecutors say was a grim progression from low-key birthday gathering to fatal gunfire under a freeway overpass.
The victim, 64-year-old Samuel “Negro” Villalba, was found dead on Jan. 10, 2021, inside a tent along the 2300 block of East 68th Street beneath the 91 Freeway. Detectives later identified suspects in the case and made arrests, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Investigators say Andrew Reyna was arrested on Oct. 23, 2024, at a Lynwood motel, with…..