LOS ANGELES – Two people who were fatally injured in a hit-and-run crash in South Los Angeles that left the alleged driver in custody were identified Monday.
Firefighters and paramedics were sent at about 12:40 a.m. Sunday to 3998 S. Normandie Ave. reported two people dead at the scene, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The suspect, a man in his 30s, was driving a white Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that struck a white BMW that was exiting a drive-thru restaurant at the corner of Normandie and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, officials said.
Both occupants of the BMW died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. On Monday morning, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified the pair as Kevin Castillo, 20, of Pomona, and Maria Polanco Aviles, 20, of Los Angeles
The suspect fled the scene on foot and was later arrested at his home, authorities said.
Elmer Santos, 31, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of murder, LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno told City News Service on Monday morning. Santos was being held on $2 million bail, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
“After the collision the driver fled immediately on foot,” Moreno told reporters earlier. “There were witnesses that basically gave chase, followed him, tried to stay within eyesight of the suspect, which eventually led to his being taken into custody.”
One person at the scene who heard the crash estimated to ABC7 that the Jeep was going as fast as 80 mph. The station also reported that police were looking into whether alcohol and/or nearby street racing activity were factors in the crash.
