A year later, the family of a father and 3-year-old girl killed in a hit-and-run accident in Long Beach are still waiting for the driver to be brought to justice.
José Palacios González and his daughter, Samantha, died after a man driving a van crashed into the family’s apartment near Rose Avenue and Artesia Boulevard last year. González died at the scene, while Samantha died later in a hospital.
González’s wife said the alleged drunk driver looked her in the eye. “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Help me, help me.’ And he ran away like a coward,” Esnelia Palacios said.
González said the past year has been painful for her and her family, including her teenage son.
Police identified the suspect as Octavio Montano Islas and released a photo of him shortly after the crash. On Wednesday, a year after the crash, the Long Beach Police Department released a video asking for leads.
“As chief of police, I can tell you that this crime will not go unaddressed and it cannot go unpunished,” LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish said, calling on Islas to turn himself in.
A suspected homeless person was struck and killed by a Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau vehicle a few weeks ago in Sherman Oaks.
Palacios thinks someone is helping hide the man suspected of killing his daughter and her husband. She wants the cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction to be increased from $25,000 to $50,000 to encourage more potential informants.