Driver Surrenders In Lancaster Hit-And-Run That Killed Girl, 11

LANCASTER (CBSLA.com) – A 25-year-old man suspected in a hit-and-run crash in Lancaster that killed an 11-year-old girl this week was in custody, being held on $250,000 bail after he turned himself in to authorities.

Eduardo Medrano Jr. turned himself in at 6 p.m. Friday at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lancaster Station, authorities said.

The two-vehicle crash occurred just after midnight Tuesday at 20th Street East and Lancaster Boulevard.

Emily Tovar Echeverria of Lancaster, a passenger in one of the vehicles, suffered critical injuries in the collision and was airlifted to a hospital, according to Deputy Yeni Deciga of the Lancaster Station.

She died surrounded by family members at 11 a.m. Thursday, coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

Both vehicles were disabled in the crash, but according to the sheriff's department, the suspect was driven away from the scene in a gold or tan Infiniti four-door sedan, the license plate number of which was broadcast by the sheriff's department along with a photo of Medrano as authorities stepped up their search for him on Friday.

Medrano had been "positively identified by multiple witnesses and (was) seen fleeing the scene," according to a sheriff's department statement.

Investigators had also been seeking the driver of the Infiniti as a "person of interest" in the case, according to the sheriff's statement, but it's unclear whether that individual has been identified and located.

Medrano was booked at the Lancaster Station on suspicion of felony hit and run, according to Deciga.

"We want to thank the public for their help in locating the suspect and convincing him to turn himself into authorities," Deciga said.

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