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19-Year-Old Killed In Crash While Trying To Stop Carjacker
A 19-year-old died in a crash in Boyle Heights on Sunday afternoon after he jumped on top of the hood of his car trying to stop a carjacker from stealing it.
The series of unfortunate events that ultimately led to Oscar Perez's death began around 3:50 p.m. when the victim and his brother were riding in Perez's Nissan Altima, reported CBS Los Angeles. An unlicensed 16-year-old driving a Toyota Rav 4 hit their car at the intersection of Evergreen Avenue and 11th Street and continued to drive off. The brothers chased him down, and the Rav 4 driver then crashed his car into a pole at Pico Boulevard and Grande Vista Avenue.
The brothers got out of their car, with the engine still running, to confront the driver so they could exchange information. It was at that time that a passerby noticed the car was unattended and allegedly stole the car. Perez jumped on the hood of the car to try to stop the suspect from taking it. LAPD Sgt. Gary Lopez told KTLA that the suspect "sped off" in the car with Perez clinging onto it for about a mile before it crashed into a building at Olympic Boulevard and Esperanza Street and burst into flames.
CBS Los Angeles reported that the victim's brother ran after the car and found Perez lying in the street. Perez was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect was critically injured and taken to a hospital. He's expected to be booked after he's released from the hospital, reported KABC.
Authorities are investigating the incident as a homicide.
Perez's father, Lorenzo Perez, told NBC Los Angeles that his son had worked hard at a local store to earn money to buy his car.
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"He never wronged anyone," Lorenzo Perez said in Spanish. "Whoever is responsible should pay."
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