An 82-year-old woman died in a hit-and-run crash early Saturday in Artesia as she walked to a local church to help with run the food bank, just as she has done for six years, police and relatives said.
Carolina Estrella, 82, died after the 4:40 a.m. crash near the intersection of Norwalk Boulevard and Droxford Street. A red car struck her and kept going, authorities said.
Estrella had 13 adult children. One of her daughters, Estrellita Legaspi, called out for the driver to come forward.
"I want to know why you didn't stop," Legaspi said, crying. "I know you felt the hit on the body. My mom is not an animal. My mom is not a dog. My mom is not a cat."
Estrella was independent and went to the food bank every Saturday to help the less fortunate, her daughters said.
She was using a wheelchair as a walker when she was struck. She often did that so she'd have somewhere to sit when she grew tired, her daughters said.
A flowery memorial has been placed at the intersection.
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The red car that struck Estrella would have extensive damage to the front end and windshield, authorities said. Anyone with information can contact Los Angeles County sheriff's traffic investigators at 562-623-3500.
