LAPD Detectives Seek to Identify Brandishing Suspect(s) NA20073jl

WHAT: News Conference

WHEN: Friday, December 18, 2020 8:00 a.m.

WHERE: Parking Lot 4322 South Central Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90011

WHO: Los Angeles City Councilman, Curren D. Price, Jr. LAPD Deputy Chief Blake Chow – Transit Services Bureau LAPD Deputy Chief Vito Palazzolo, Operations Central Bureau LAPD Commander, Victor Davalos, Operations Central Bureau LAPD Commander Gerald Woodyard, Traffic Group LAPD Captain Sonia Monico, Central Traffic Commanding Officer LAPD Detective Juan Campos, Central Traffic Division LAPD Captain Alex Baez, Newton Division LAPD Captain Randall Goddard, Newton Division Family of Luciana Gonzalez

WHY: On November 28, 2020, around 6:35 p.m., Luciana Gonzalez and her 9-year-old son were severely injured when a 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander collided into them. They were both taken to a local hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. The son was admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit and expected to survive. Unfortunately, Luciana died from her injuries at the hospital.

The cause of the collision was a result of a road rage incident where a suspect brandished a firearm at the driver of the Outlander. The road rage started on Central Avenue somewhere between 56th Street and 43rd Street. The suspect’s vehicle is a black Chevy or GMC SUV with an unknown described driver and passenger. During the road rage, the passenger brandished a firearm at the driver of the Outlander. The driver of the SUV blocked the path of the Outlander at Central Avenue just south of 43rd Street. Fearing that the passenger of the SUV was going to shoot at him, the driver of the Outlander conducted an evasive maneuver by driving around the SUV, onto opposing traffic, and made an immediate eastbound right turn onto 43rd Street. The driver of the SUV began to chase the Outlander eastbound on 43rd. As the driver of the Outlander approached Hooper Avenue, the driver failed to stop for the posted “Stop” sign and entered the intersection at a high rate of speed. A 2020 Toyota Corolla, which was travelling southbound on Hooper Avenue, collided with the Outlander. The driver of the Outlander lost control, began to travel towards the southeast corner of the intersection, where Luciana and her son were standing. The Outlander collided into them and a wooden telephone pole. The driver of the SUV briefly stopped at the scene of the collision, however, fled southbound Central Avenue, to westbound Vernon Avenue.

The possible black Chevy or GMC has aftermarket LED style head and fog lamps with red running lights. A video compilation, which captured part of the road rage, the sounds of the collisions, and the images of the black SUV will be posted on the LAPD’s social media platforms.

Need help in identifying the driver and passenger and the black SUV. Video will be released.

CONTACT: For more information, please contact Detective Juan Campos at 213-486-0755, 213-833-3713, or email 31480@LAPD.Online.

COVID-19 protocol will be adhered to during the press conference.