Young couple killed by hit-and-run driver in Exposition Park; suspect arrested
A young couple was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver early Sunday morning in Exposition Park and thanks to the help of witnesses to the incident, authorities were able to make an arrest.
The crash happened at around 12:40 a.m., when Los Angeles Fire Department crews were dispatched to 3998 S. Normandie Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where the speed limit is just 35 miles per hour.
They arrived to find two, a man and woman in their twenties, dead at the scene, according to Los Angeles Police Department.
The suspect, a man in his 30s, was said to have been speeding through the area while behind the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon when he slammed into the white BMW that both victims were inside of after getting something to eat at the Burger Factory.
"Unfortunately, two young folks lost their lives this morning just doing something as simple as going to get food," said LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno, who said the suspect could have been driving as fast as double or triple the speed limit.
After the crash, witnesses told investigators that the suspect fled from the scene on foot, but witnesses to the crash followed, leading to his eventual arrest outside of his home in South LA.
"People came together, a lot of strangers did the right thing," Moreno said. "Help us get where we are in this investigation. It was just great."
They also believe that the suspect had been drinking prior to the crash, after finding evidence of alcohol inside of the wrecked vehicle.
Family members of one of the two victims began to gather at the scene of the fatal crash late Sunday to mourn their lost loved one.
They told KCAL reporters that the female victim, Maria Belen Polanco, was a sophomore at the nearby University of Southern California and was looking to complete her degree and begin working in the real estate industry to help her siblings realize the American Dream.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office identified the two victims Monday morning as Kevin Castillo, 20, of Pomona, and Maria Polanco Aviles, 20, of Los Angeles.
Employees of the Burger Factory also told reporters that the male victim's uncle worked at the restaurant, and that he was on the clock when the grisly collision occurred.
Police say that the hit-and-run driver will face at least a charge of vehicular manslaughter with a possibility of murder.
The suspect was identified Monday morning as Elmer Santos, 31, according to the Los Angeles Police Dept. Specific charges were not immediately released. Santos was held on $2 million bond.
