Loved ones mourn teen killed in Long Beach hit-and-run: 'He did not deserve to die like this'
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Family members and loved ones are grieving after a 17-year-old boy was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver in Long Beach over the weekend.
"He did not deserve to die like this at all," said the teen's friend, Aniyah Diaz. "...I was with him and the next thing you know, a second goes by and a lady kills him... There goes his whole life, gone."
Brandon Cabrera was riding a scooter near Orange Avenue and South Street early Sunday morning when he was struck by a suspect in a Cadillac SUV.
Diaz said they had just left a store when she saw a vehicle speeding by. Brandon was a few steps ahead.
"We just knew. We knew it was him that got hit... We ran and we just saw his body right there."
Authorities say the driver then crashed into an apartment building before running away.
Police say the suspect returned to the scene and was taken into custody. She's been identified as Karen Mativa, 35, of Compton.
"You hurt my family... Everybody is so hurt because that person decided to drink and drive," Diaz said.
Loved ones say the teen was a friend and caring young man who had moved to Southern California from Honduras a few years ago after a difficult upbringing.
They say he was going to school and working in construction to support his family.
"We lost a family member because of her. It's not OK. She needs to pay for this. She needs to pay the consequences," said his cousin, Britney Chacon.
Mativa is facing charges of hit-and-run and driving under the influence.
Meanwhile, a makeshift memorial was growing at the scene of the deadly crash. Family members are asking for donations on Cash App ($BritneyyOfficial) or Zelle (562-388-2663) to pay for funeral expenses. A GoFundMe account has also been set up.
