Once again, a bike rider has allegedly been murdered by an apparent road raging driver.
This time, right here in Los Angeles.
According to KCBS-2, a 16-year old boy was killed when he was deliberately run down by a driver who chased a large group of bike-riding teens into the parking lot at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park a little before 4:30 pm Friday.
The incident began when a group of around 40 kids were riding their bikes south on Figueroa Street, north of Martin Luther King Blvd, and an “altercation” began with the driver of an unidentified sedan.
The teens attempted to escape by going through a gap in the fencing around the BMO Stadium parking lot. They were followed by the driver in the sedan, who accelerated into the group and struck the victim, who has not been publicly identified.
The driver then fled the scene.
A report on KABC-7 differs on several key details, stating the victim was 17 years old, and riding a skateboard, rather than a bicycle. (Update: KABC has revised their story to indicate the victim was 16, and riding a bicycle.)
Police report several witnesses left before investigators could speak with them. Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s Southern Division Major Crimes Unit at 323/644-9550 or the Los Angeles Communication Center at 323/259-3200.
If the details are born out, it should result in a murder charge when the driver is ultimately identified and arrested. Anything less would be a travesty.
Assuming the victim was riding a bike, this is at least the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the seventh that we know about in the City of Los Angeles, which is likely an undercount.
(Correction: According to Crosstown LA, the actual number of bicyclists killed in Los Angeles so far this year is 21, not the seven I’ve counted; nine of those have been victims of hit-and-run drivers.)
Eighteen of those SoCal deaths we know about have been hit-and-runs. And it’s the second time a bike rider has allegedly been murdered by a driver in just the past eight days.
Update: Fox 11 is reporting that one of the teenagers broke the car’s mirror during the altercation on the street, prior to the driver pursuing the group into the parking lot.
He then intentionally drove his car into the victim, who reportedly wasn’t even involved in the initial confrontation.
Read that last part again. The kid he killed had absolutely nothing to do with it.
According to KABC-7, the victim was identified as John by some of the riders, who gathered at the site on Saturday to remember him.
“It’s really hard to be honest, we’re just trying to ride and it’s really hard for the family too,” said Manuel Ramirez. “He didn’t deserve to die in the streets like that.”
Meanwhile, Fox spoke with a local pastor. and parent.
Pastor Mariela Madriz, whose own teenage son frequently bikes with friends in the area, described the tragedy as “heartbreaking and horrific.” She spoke to FOX 11 at her nearby church, Iglesia Jesucristo Fuente De Vida.
“As a mom, all I could think is — it could have been my son,” Madriz said…
“If you can get so angry over a broken mirror to your car to kill a child, you don’t deserve to be out and free,” Madriz said. “You deserve to be locked up for the rest of your life.”
The station also talked to a former detective, who said the car should be easy to identify.
Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo echoed Madriz’s sentiments, calling the incident a “horrible tragedy” just days before Thanksgiving.
“This is the type of case that can be solved quickly with the public’s help,” Castillo said. “If you see a vehicle with a damaged side-view mirror and front-end collision damage, report it to authorities immediately. More than likely, that’s going to be our suspect.”
Let’s hope someone spots it fast, before the driver can hide or repair it.
Because the pastor is right. This person shouldn’t be out on the streets, ever again.
Update 2: We have a lot to catch up on in this case, starting with the identification of the victim as 16-year old Jonathan Flores.
Not surprisingly, the LA County Medical Examiner ruled his death was a homicide caused by multiple blunt force injuries.
Police have also identified, but not named, a person of interest in his killing, after serving a search warrant at a Los Angeles home Saturday night, and seizing two cars.
The incident reportedly began with an altercation with the driver of a blue BMW, who argued with some of the teens on the street.
They were then followed into the parking lot by the driver of second car, a Honda sedan, who slammed into the victim, killing him.
It’s not clear at this time what the relationship was between the two motorists. However, the vehicles seized by the police were a blue BMW and the Honda Accord they believe was involved in the crash, suggesting that both cars were found at the same home.
CHP investigators urged the driver of the Honda, identified only as a 28-year old Hispanic man, to turn himself in. However, no one has been arrested at this time.
Update 3: CHP investigators have identified the suspect as 28-year old Jonathan Antonio Rodriguez, and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Rodriguez is charged with murder, felony hit-and-run and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, and a $2 million bail has been set pending his arrest.
He remains a fugitive at this time.
However, no photo has been provided to help identify him.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jonathan Flores and his loved ones.
