LOS ANGELES, CA – The search intensifies for a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run incident in South Los Angeles, as police release new footage hoping to bring the perpetrator to justice.
Authorities are on the hunt for 24-year-old Cierra Whitaker, whom they believe was driving the vehicle that struck and killed Emerson Gonzalez Escobar on July 5. The tragic accident occurred just after 9 p.m. at the intersection of 91st Street and South Figueroa, a day after Independence Day.
Whitaker is alleged to have been behind the wheel of a white Porsche Panamera, speeding at nearly 100 mph, when she collided with Gonzalez Escobar. He was waiting to make a left turn, yielding to an ambulance, when the crash happened. Detectives are hopeful that a $50,000 reward will encourage someone to come forward with information on Whitaker’s whereabouts.
Investigators have revealed that Whitaker and two companions are known to frequent areas in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. They are reportedly familiar faces in the Figueroa corridor and Orange County. Police believe that with the release of video and images, someone might recognize Whitaker and provide a lead.
Cell phone footage captured by a bystander shows Whitaker and her passengers retrieving belongings from the damaged vehicle. When questioned about their failure to assist the victim, Whitaker reportedly confronted the person filming, before fleeing the scene with her friends.
The LAPD urges anyone with information to contact them immediately, as they work tirelessly to close this case and bring closure to the victim’s family.