'It's not fair:' Woman's high school sweetheart killed by street takeover driver in Compton

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- Two heartbroken families are seeking justice after a driver who was participating in an illegal street takeover in Compton struck a man and his fiancée, killing the man and seriously injuring the woman.

The incident happened in February and was captured on surveillance video. Maria Rivas-Cruz and Raymond Olivares were crossing Avalon Boulevard when the suspect hit the couple with his car.

Rivas-Cruz survived but her fiancé died.

"He was a great guy, very hard-working, very loyal, very determined, and I don't have him no more, he's not with me," she told Eyewitness News during an emotional interview on Wednesday.

Rivas-Cruz still has visible injuries from the incident. Investigators said the couple was struck by a driver who participating in nearby street takeover.

"These two cars came, and the first car was outbeating the other car and they struck them both," recalled Cindi Enamorado, the victim's sister. "My brother fell into the opposite side of the street, and was struck by another car."

The family said there have been a number of different street takeovers in the area, many of which are typically posted online. Enamorado said people were posting video footage of her brother's body.

"We're trying to just stop this crowd because they just didn't care and they still had the audacity to record them as they were laid out on the street and they posted it online," she said.

Now, the family is seeking justice. They said the 21-year-old driver who struck the couple has been arrested several times but keeps being released. The driver is now being charged with vehicular manslaughter but the couple's family feels it is not enough.

They're calling out Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón to bring more serious charges.

"This kid is a danger to society, and he should sit there for a long time and think about what he's done and change his life around," said Enamorado.

According to a GoFundMe created for Rivas-Cruz, 2023 was supposed to be an exciting year for her and Olivares.

The couple, who had been together since they were 14, were going to get married in December. They had already purchased a home together.

"Anyone that knew them knew how special and how deep in love they were. Many admired their ways of loving each other and most importantly their principles. They were made for one another," read the GoFundMe.

"It's not fair because this guy didn't just change two lives he changed completely two families," said Rivas-Cruz.

Olivares would've celebrated a birthday on May 21. The family wants to host an event at the site of the crash and bring in law enforcement officials to show young people the dangers of street takeovers.

Meanwhile, the district attorney's office released the following statement:

"Our hearts goes out to the family and friends of the victim. The loss of human life is immeasurable and there is nothing we can do to bring the victim back. As prosecutors we have an ethical duty only to file charges that are supported by the evidence. In every case we must analyze the facts and apply the applicable law to make the appropriate filing decision. In this case our office filed the charge that was appropriate under the circumstances."