Heartbroken Friends Recall Woman Killed In Buena Park Hotel Parking Lot Hit-And-Run
BUENA PARK (CBSLA.com) — Heartbroken friends remembered a 32-year-old woman killed in the parking lot of a Buena Park Holiday Inn Saturday morning.
The man accused of fatally striking the woman -- Jessica Brown Carvajal -- and injuring another pedestrian is in custody, police said.
"She's in my heart, she's in my thoughts, I'll never forget about her, never," said Mike Kent.
He said Carvajal -- once his neighbor -- was like a daughter to him.
"We became close and she started calling me dad," Kent told KCAL9's Rebecca Ferriter.
"She thought about other people before she thought about herself. It's just a tragedy," said Brandon Shapiro, another friend.
Buena Park Police said Carvajal and another man -- 51-year-old Robert Shore -- were struck by a mini van in the parking lot near Beach Boulevard and Orangethorpe Avenue.Shore is expected to be okay.
The suspect has been identified as 60-year-old Nelson Ward.
Police say he ran from the scene. They did not give specific details about his arrest.
"I think that's a cowardly thing to do, hit somebody and then run," said Shapiro.
"You took my daughter," said Kent, "You took something from me and I hope they take something from you."
Police, probing the accident, are still investigating whether Carvajal, Shore and Ward knew each other before the deadly crash.