Family Grieving After 75-Year-Old Man Critically Injured In Hit-And-Run
EL SERENO (CBSLA) — A 75-year-old man was on life support Friday after being seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in El Sereno.
Guillermo Cartagena, a beloved father and grandfather, was crossing the street Thursday night when he was struck by a white Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck.
"We're not holding up well," Guillermo Cartagena, the victim's son, said. "My dad's really bad at the hospital. He's on life support. He has trauma to his brain, bleeding form his brain."
The family said they were devastated, knowing their loved one had been so seriously hurt by a man who just drove away.
"We've came to the toughest decision any family has to make, and we came to this decision regarding, basically, on what he wanted," Cartagena said. "He always asked my mom if there was something ever to happen like that, he did not want to live like that, so we're basically gonna give him what he asked for."
The accident happened at about 7 p.m. at the intersection of Alhambra and Bullard avenues. Security video from the scene showed the driver getting out of the truck momentarily, looking at the man lying helpless on the ground, before driving away.
"I just want to tell him that I love him" Guillermo said of his father. "And thank you for everything. He's just the best dad ever. ... I'm gonna miss him so much."
Police said the suspect is believed to be a man between the ages of 30 and 40. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and bluejeans.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department. A $25,000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction.