Family Of Woman Hit, Killed By Truck In 2018 Calls For Driver To Be Charged
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The family of a 77-year-old woman who was struck and killed in 2018 by the driver of a pick-up truck in Compton called on District Attorney George Gascón Friday to reopen the case and file charges against the driver.
Justa Garcia, of Compton, was struck at about 5 a.m. Dec. 19, 2018 near the intersection of Caldwell Street and Wilmington Avenue and died at the scene.
The driver, whose name was not released by authorities, remained at the scene and was interviewed by investigators.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has twice reviewed the case — once during the tenure of former D.A. Jackie Lacey and earlier this year — and declined to prosecute the driver.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the office said in a statement that the office declined the case due to "insufficient evidence."
But the woman's family and attorney Luis Carrillo held a news conference asking the office to again review the case and prosecute the driver.
"Who are we supposed to look to for justice if it is not the people that represent us, the people that are supposed to take into consideration our justice, the victim's justice," Martha Garcia, the victim's granddaughter said. "She was the victim in all this. And at the end of the day, she is dead and the man that killed her is still out there."
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)