Arrest made in hit-and-run death of woman in Silver Lake
SILVER LAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 47-year-old janitor at a Los Angeles middle school has been arrested in the hit-and-run death of a woman in Silver Lake.
Police have arrested Freddy Prieto, 47, who works as a janitor at Thomas King Middle School. He was booked for vehicular manslaughter and was being held on $100,000 bail.
Police say he struck and killed a woman early Wednesday on Hyperion Avenue in Silver Lake and, after briefly stopping, drove off.
The victim's family has identified her as Cristina Garcia, 57. They say she would often go out for a walk and collect cans and other recyclable items to help pay for her daughter's tuition and books at Los Angeles City College.
"She was a great woman," said her son, Edwin Aleman. "She had a big heart. She wasn't just a mother of three. She was newly a grandmother."
The collision scene on Hyperion near De Longpre Avenue is located just blocks from the school where the suspect works.
Surveillance video shows a vehicle spinning out of control on Hyperion, hitting the side of a building and some trash cans. A woman who was out collecting recyclables was struck and killed, police say. Her body was found hours later, around 7:30 a.m.
The video shows the driver getting out of the vehicle to inspect the damage, then getting back in and driving off.
Police say it's not clear if he realized he struck a person. The victim's body was found covered by debris and trash cans.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help the victim's family.
Police impounded Prieto's vehicle as part of the investigation.
