Watch CBS News

Girl, 11, Killed When Speeding Mustang Sparks Chain Reaction Crash In Boyle Heights

BOYLE HEIGHTS (CBSLA) – A 21-year-old man was charged with vehicular manslaughter Saturday after he crashed his speeding Ford Mustang in front of a taco stand in Boyle Heights on Friday, killing an 11-year-old girl and injuring four others, according to Los Angeles police.

Capture
An undated photo of Elektra Yepez, 11, who was killed in a car crash in Boyle Heights on Nov. 10, 2017. (Credit: Yepez family)

Police say the suspect, Jose Luis Perez, crashed into parked vehicles that went onto the sidewalk at 7:05 p.m. Friday and slammed into the taco stand in the 900 block of South Marietta Street.

Perez was arrested on vehicular manslaughter charges. His passenger, a 16-year-old, was arrested on possession of nitric oxide.

The victims were transported to a hospital, and it was later confirmed 11-year-old Elektra Yepez, a student at Endeavor College Prep, had died. A 45-year-old woman suffered a fractured leg and wrist. A 53-year-old woman suffered a head bruise and a 31-year-old woman was complaining of pain. A 15-month-old child was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons after possibly being thrown as a result of the crash.

All the victims were pedestrians, said Officer Tony Im of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division.

Police said Perez was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang westbound on Marietta Street when it veered into the eastbound lanes and struck a Nissan. The impact pushed the Nissan onto the sidewalk, where it collided into the pedestrians.

The Mustang also struck a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado. The occupants of the Nissan and the Silverado were not hurt.

Investigators believe the Mustang was going between 60 and 70 miles per hour. There were no skid marks at the scene, and no evidence that the driver made an attempt to stop. Drugs are being investigated as a possible contributor to the crash.

(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.