Teen Athletes Briefly Held Hostage; Man 19, Arrested

Two Ventura County swimmers were briefly held hostage in a bungled robbery attempt by a 19-year-old suspected gang member in Long Beach, police said Monday.

The teens and their coach escaped unharmed and were back in the water Monday morning, competing in the final day of the Long Beach “Q” Meet, a swim coach confirmed.

Police would not release their identities for fear of retaliation.

The suspect, Jesse James Richardson, was in custody after he was chased and captured by the coach and hotel security guards, police said.

The ordeal began about 9:15 p.m. Sunday when Richardson stopped the group in a parking structure across the street from their hotel. Richardson allegedly pretended to have a handgun and asked the swimmers for money, police spokeswoman Karen Kerr said.

When the victims said they had no money and offered to go back to the hotel rooms to get cash, the suspect held two victims hostage, threatening to shoot them if the coach did not come back with cash, police said.

As the coach and two of the teenagers walked to the hotel, he alerted hotel employees, who called police and then confronted Richardson, Kerr said.

Richardson apparently panicked and ran. The security guards and the coach chased him to an adjoining alley, where he was held until police arrived.

Richardson was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and taking a hostage. He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Back at the Olympic Plaza pool, swimmers and coaches alike talked about the strange ordeal.

“It was the buzzword around the deck,” said Ken Grey, Conejo Simi Aquatics assistant coach. “It was just a weird thing.”