After Long Beach police arrested her son, a mother and her community have come together to campaign for his release, as well as an overhaul of the City’s response to mental health emergencies.
Karina Guerrero usually visited her son, Kaizann Adriano Guerrero, in downtown Long Beach every three to four days. The 42-year-old father lived in a permanent supportive housing program run by the Los Angeles County Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR), where he received resources and treatment for his schizophrenia. But the Guerreros’ lives were upended when Kaizann was arrested by Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officers outside his living community on Aug. 21, 2025 for allegedly attempting to start a fire.
Karina witnessed her son’s arrest and says the police were aggressive with Kaizann and did not take his medical condition into account, and insists that medical professionals should have been called to the scene…