Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Teen on Scooter in Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CA (May 15, 2024) — A 17-year-old boy, identified as Brandon Cabrera, was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver early Sunday morning in Long Beach. Police believe the driver was also under the influence.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Orange Avenue and South Street around 12:40 p.m., according to the Long Beach Police Department. Cabrera was riding his scooter north on South Street when a 2012 Cadillac traveling northbound on Orange Avenue hit him.
The driver continued driving and eventually crashed into an apartment building at 6100 Orange Avenue. Cabrera was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. He was returning home from the store with two friends when the incident occurred, according to Aniyah Diaz, who witnessed the crash.
Friends and family gathered at the scene to remember Cabrera, who had dropped out of high school to work as a roofer and support his siblings.
The suspect, 35-year-old Compton resident Karen Mativa, fled the scene on foot but returned shortly after. She has been booked on charges including driving under the influence, hit-and-run resulting in death or injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and assault with a deadly weapon. She is being held on $130,000 bail.
Investigators suspect speed and impaired driving were factors in the Long Beach hit-and-run accident. Anyone with information is asked to contact LBPD’s Collision Investigation Detail at (562) 570-7355.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of a hit-and-run, contact the personal injury lawyers at RTM Law Firm. We can help you understand your rights, determine liability, and file a claim for compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. Call our accident attorneys in California for a free case review.
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