A 19-year-old California State University Northridge student was killed in a crash that started as a police pursuit in Northridge as authorities attempted to stop someone wanted for armed robbery.
The pursuit started at around 12:30 a.m. near the corner of Roscoe Boulevard and White Oak Avenue when officers spotted a black SUV involved in an armed robbery out of the LAPD Topanga division, LAPD Lt. Letisia Ruiz said.
“Officers attempted to make a traffic stop. However, the suspect vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated,” Ruiz said. “The suspect vehicle failed to stop at the red light and collided with the victim vehicle that was traveling southbound on Lindley.”
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified by authorities as Erick Barbosa-Guardado, 19, of Reseda.
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Family members were seen leaving flowers at the crash site later in the morning. They identified him as a Cal State Northridge student.
"I feel so mad, so mad because it is not right this happened with my nephew. Please do something. He was a really good guy. He is 19 and excellent in school," Socorro Barbosa, the victim's aunt, said.
Lt. Ruiz said two people got out of the car and fled the scene without offering any help to the victim. One of them, the driver, was detained after officers set up a perimeter in the area. A loaded rifle was also found in the car, Ruiz said.
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In the last several weeks, at least five innocent bystanders were killed in pursuit crashes across Southern California. In one of the incidents, two victims were killed near Lanark Street and Woodman Avenue in Panorama City after police went on a pursuit to stop a stolen truck. But Lt. Ruiz said some pursuits are necessary to stop those who pose danger to the community.
“We have to take action when it comes to these types of situation when someone is armed and dangerous,” Ruiz said. “Part of our job is making our community safe. We try to balance risk versus gain. In this case, it’s unfortunate the suspect failed to stop.”
