After police arrest a motorcyclist wanted in connection with a Boyle Heights hit-and-run accident that cost a teenager his leg, activists on Thursday urged lawmakers to strengthen traffic safety laws.
Erwin Majano, a 29-year-old Banning resident, was arrested Tuesday in a joint operation between the Los Angeles and Banning Police Departments, an LAPD detective told NBCLA.
A public tip led to the arrest.
“You may think you are trying to escape the consequences by fleeing the scene, but as these heroes here behind me have shown, with the cooperation of the media and our community, we will find you,” the chief said. Deputy Don Graham at a conference. call, press Thursday.
Majano is accused of punching Joshua Mora, 13, as the teenager crossed Whittier Boulevard on March 30 at a marked crosswalk.
“It left Joshua and his family to face a lifetime of consequences,” Graham said.
Police say Joshua hugged officers when they told him an arrest had been made.
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“That’s enough, hang up the phone. Slow down. This text can wait… it’s worth someone’s life. It’s worth slowing down a bit,” said Damian Kevitt of Streets Are For Everyone, who was also victim of a hit and run in 2013 and lost a leg.
He called on lawmakers to curb the “carnage”.
He also called Los Angeles the deadliest city in the United States when it comes to “traffic violence”.
SAFE was going to hold a charity car wash on Saturday in Joshua’s name to help pay for his medical bills.
Jail records show Majano was being held on $50,000 bail. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
“I was in the middle, basically. That’s when I heard the biker coming quickly. I tried to get away so he wouldn’t hit me, and he got turned out he cut off my whole leg,” Joshua said on Tuesday.
People there helped him until paramedics arrived. The teenager was taken to hospital, where he underwent several surgeries. Unfortunately, his leg could not be saved, shattering his dream of one day playing professional basketball.
Still, Joshua said he was grateful to be alive because other people don’t always survive hit-and-run accidents.
“I just think about the good things, like having my family and everything,” he said.
Nearly $40,000 was raised Thursday through a GoFundMe set up by the family.