Liberal City Offers Bounty After Drivers Take Over Block, Woman Killed
Trevor Schakohl on December 29, 2022
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is offering up to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest after a deadly Christmas evening hit-and-run during an illegal street takeover.
A driver doing donuts in a circling contest against other drivers during the street takeover in the area of Los Angeles’ Hyde Park neighborhood lost control and went into a crowd of watching pedestrians, killing Elyzza Guajaca and striking other individuals, Detective Ryan Moreno said at a Wednesday press conference covered by Fox 11 Los Angeles. Two other vehicles also participated in the contest, Moreno reported, and an up to $50,000 is available to community members for information leading to the arrest of the first driver, who fled the scene, according to a press release.
Members of Guajaca’s family said she was 24 years old, Fox 11 reported. Others said she attended nursing school and worked at the Los Angeles International Airport, and she reportedly enjoyed car demonstration events.
A brawl occurred in a video filmed during the takeover and tweeted Wednesday by the LAPD, with one individual apparently being kicked on the ground.
“Traditionally when someone crashes in one of these events, if you’re a car and you’re actively swinging and doing donuts, they basically beat them up,” Moreno said at the press conference. However, he indicated that the person being beaten on video might have been attacking the driver who crashed, and faced retaliation.
“There are people in this culture, in some of these car clubs, that have basically taken on a gang persona and basically have a gang mentality,” Moreno explained. “Some of these guys that are in these car clubs are basically what you could say is untouchable. So they can crash, do whatever, but you don’t do that to them.”
The LAPD did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Liberal City Offers Bounty After Drivers Take Over Block, Woman Killed
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