A suspect was arrested Wednesday after the body of a hit-and-run crash victim was dragged for about a mile on streets in the South Los Angeles area.
The victim was identified as 65-year-old Francisco Gonzalez by the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner's office on Thursday.
Gonzalez was struck Tuesday morning by a van on Broadway near 115th Street. He was dragged under the van as the driver made several turns in the South LA neighborhood, police said.
The body of the victim was dislodged near Broadway and El Segundo Boulevard, police said. He died at the scene.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The driver made several turns with the body underneath the van, police said.
“Since this is a mile of investigation, there is a lot to cover, a lot of witnesses to be interviewed. But we want this to be thorough and bring that suspect to justice,” LAPD Officer Jay Chaves said.
There were some initial reports that the victim may have been intentionally struck, but police could not immediately confirm those reports.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The van sought in connection with the crash was found in the driveway of a home in Compton. Investigators monitored the scene and arrested a man who came out of the home and got into the van, according to a LAPD statement.
Anyone with information on the case was asked to call 877-LAPD-247.
The city of Los Angeles has a standing $50,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in a fatal hit-and-run.
