What to Know
- An arrest has been made in the death of Cristina Garcia, a grandmother who was struck and killed in Silver Lake while on her walk.
- The crash happened in the 1800 block of Hyperion Avenue.
- The suspect was identified as Freddy Prieto, a janitor at a middle school nearby where the crash happened.
A middle school janitor was arrested Thursday in connection with the hit-and-run death of a 57-year-old grandmother who was struck while out for the daily walk she'd taken for 15 years in Silver Lake.
Freddy Prieto, 47, a janitor at a middle school in Los Feliz, was arrested in connection with the death of Cristina Garcia.
Garcia was killed about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 1800 block of Hyperion Avenue in a crash caught on surveillance camera.
Garcia's son, Edwin Aleman, said that his mother enjoyed picking up cans and other recyclables to help pay for her daughter's college tuition and books at Los Angeles City College.
She had three children and a grandson who was 5 years old. A gofundme page was set up to assist the family.
"Unfortunately he's asking for her now," said Aleman. "It's going to be hard to explain to him."
The crash was rain related, police said. The car took a blind curve too fast and hydroplaned on the wet road, police said.
After the crash, the driver can be seen getting out of his vehicle and appearing to inspect the damage before getting back in the car and driving off, surveillance video shows.
