4 Arrested In Pursuit, Crash That Killed 2 Cousins
PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — Authorities say four people are facing murder charges in connection with a police pursuit and crash that killed a woman and a boy Christmas Day.
The suspects were riding in an SUV that slammed into a minivan during a pursuit at about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. The crash occurred at Marengo Avenue and Maple Street.
The driver of the SUV had been stopped for a traffic violation a minute before the crash, then sped away, KNX1070's Jon Baird reports.
Podcast
"When lights and sirens are activated by a law enforcement official it's not a request to stop – it's the law, it's a mandate," Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said.
Police identified the four arrested as: 18-year-old Jada Mays, 22-year-old Darryl Williams, and 22-year-old Demauria Hannah, all of Pasadena, and 21-year-old Brittany Washington, of Los Angeles.
Investigators said Williams was driving the SUV.
The four people in the SUV were arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. They were then taken to Pasadena jail and are each being held on $1 million bail. Their arraignment was slated for Thursday morning.
The two people killed in the minivan were 25-year-old Tracey Noelle Ong Tan, of Glendale, and her 11-year-old cousin, Kenric Ng, of Daly City, coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz said. Three other passengers were injured and taken to hospitals in serious condition. All those riding in the minivan were members of the same family, four of whom were visiting from Northern California for the holiday.
"We have an innocent family that was going about their business on a special day at a special time of year," said Pasadena police Chief Philip Sanchez. "We have a driver of a suspect vehicle that, at least preliminarily, is culpable for his action."
Investigators are still looking into whether the pursuit and fatal crash was connected to a shooting earlier in the day, in which one man was killed and critically wounded. The SUV appeared to have been driving away from a six-square-block area of Northwest Pasadena that had been cordoned off by police during the shooting investigation.
The SUV may match the description of one of the vehicles sought in connection with the shootings, police said.
RELATED STORIES:
Man Killed In Pasadena Christmas Shooting Was LA County Sheriff's Employee
Woman, Boy Dead After Pasadena Police Chase
(©2012 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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.)
