Girl Killed, Her Siblings Injured In Wild Pico Rivera Carjacking
PICO RIVERA (CBSLA) -- A Pico Rivera family is mourning on Sunday night after a carjacking left their daughter dead and other family members injured.
The carjacking happened in the 9000 block of Whittier Boulevard near Lindsay Avenue, officials said.
The young girl who died was identified by family as 13-year-old Isabella Cortes.
Family members held a memorial on Sunday night in her honor shortly after the deadly incident.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Cortes and her three siblings -- 8, 11, and 18 years old -- were sitting inside their family car, waiting for their parents outside a restaurant when a carjacker hopped inside.
The 18-year-old and 11-year-old managed to get out, but Cortes and her 8-year-old brother were still trapped inside as the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Jose Aguilar, sped off.
The 8-year-old suffered major injuries and Cortes' injuries were fatal. She died at the scene.
"[Isabella] was friendly with people. She didn't have any problems," her cousin Brenda Santiago said. "She was super nice."
Detectives say Aguilar got into a crash down the street then tried to carjack another vehicle a few miles away.
Aguilar was recently arrested and released on felony possession of a dagger and vandalism, with zero bail, officials said. He was also on probation for other charges. He was taken into custody on Sunday after the deadly carjacking.
Correction: This article was updated to include the correct age of the deceased victim. A previous version of this story said the victim was 8, according to initial reports, but her family has since said she was 13.
