Woman arrested in hit-and-run crash that killed man in downtown LA
Los Angeles police say surveillance video captures the suspect exiting her vehicle before fleeing from the scene.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A woman was arrested Sunday in the fatal hit-and-run crash of a man earlier this month in downtown Los Angeles, police said.
Maria Perez, a 59-year-old resident of Bell Gardens, is accused of striking and killing Byern Smith as he was walking in the 1600 block of East 7th Street on May 7.
Perez was arrested in the area of Gladys Avenue and 6th Street at around 1:50 a.m. when a Los Angeles police sergeant saw Perez's white 2005 Scion xB, which matched the description of the suspect vehicle.
LAPD said Smith, 51, was walking when he was struck by the vehicle, and the driver did not stop to help. Surveillance video allegedly captured Perez exiting the vehicle after she parked at Gladys and 6th and then fled the scene.
She was booked for felony hit-and-run, two felony warrants and three misdemeanor warrants.
Her bail was set at $0 for the felony hit-and-run charge due to the L.A. County Emergency COVID-19 Directive. She's being held on the felony warrants.
Perez is expected to be in court Monday.
She is due in court on the hit-and-run charge in August.
