Man Arrested in Connection with 11-year Old’s Death in Boyle Heights
Posted on November 14, 2017 Written By: iadminlaw
Los Angeles Crash Details
Los Angeles Police Department has arrested a 21-year old man on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter in connection with a crash that killed an 11-year old girl who was standing in front of a taco stand in the 900 block of South Marietta Street of Boyle Heights Friday evening, Nov. 10th. The Los Angeles Coroner’s Bureau has released the identity of the 11-year old girl as Elektra Yepez of Boyle Heights. The 21-year driver was later identified by police as Jose Louis Perez. According to LAPD preliminary investigation, Perez was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang at a high rate of speed west on Whittier Boulevard. Perez lost control and veered across the center line, smashing into a Nissan Sentra parked on the east side of Whittier Boulevard. The force of impact sent the Nissan Sentra careening into the sidewalk where it struck 2 women, a 15-month old baby, and 11-year old Elektra Yepez. The Mustang continued until it hit a Chevy Silverado, also parked on the opposite side of the road next to the taco stand, and then came to a rest. Witnesses said the adult women are sisters and were having dinner with their children when Perez crashed into the 2 parked vehicles in front of the taco stand. Jocelyn Parras, the owner of the parked car that struck the family, said the vehicle trapped them against a wall. She said customers then lifted the car to rescue the injured and made sure the driver of the Mustang didn’t leave the scene.
Victim Rushed to USC Medical Center
Yepez was rushed by ambulance to USC Medical Center where she later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. The 2 women were also injured with 1 of the victims suffering a fractured leg but the injury is not considered life-threatening. The infant was uninjured.
Jose Louis Perez was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the crash and cooperated with investigators. Perez had completed field sobriety test but officials were not releasing the results as of yet. A passenger in Perez’s Mustang, a juvenile, was also arrested on suspicion of possessing the drug nitrous oxide after a container was confiscated from the Mustang, police said. His name has not been released due to his age.
Speed was a factor in the incident and the department’s street racing task force was on scene investigating the circumstances. Police had previously said they were looking into whether the nitrous oxide was being used for street racing, or as a drug, and whether either factored in the crash, but did not provide information on those aspects of the investigation. Anyone with information on the crash can call traffic detectives at (213) 833-3713.
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