KTLA

Suspect arrested in South L.A. hit-and-run crash where victim was fatally struck, dragged by tow truck

Javier Garcia is shown in a photo released by the LAPD on Aug. 26, 2021. On the right, surveillance video of an Aug. 11 fatal hit-and-run crash.

A man previously described as a person of interest has been arrested in a South Los Angeles hit-and-run crash where the victim was fatally struck and dragged by a tow truck.

The crash occurred about 9:55 p.m. Aug. 11 near the intersection of Broadway and 54th Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Osvaldo Dominguez Flores, 55, was walking against the “don’t walk” signal in a marked crosswalk on Broadway when a light-colored wrecker tow truck crashed into him. The victim was dragged 180 feet before he was dislodged and eventually declared dead at the scene.

The driver stopped briefly after the crash, but continued driving without offering help.

Last week, Javier Garcia, aka Turtle, was identified as a person of interest in the case, and he turned himself in Tuesday, officials said.

An investigation revealed that he was the driver of the truck that struck Flores, but he declined to disclose the location of the tow truck involved in the crash.

Meanwhile, detectives still want to talk to two other tow truck drivers that were with Garcia at a Mobil gas station at 243 West Slauson Avenue before the crash.

Police on Thursday released video of the other tow truck drivers seen with the suspect.

The suspect vehicle, which remains outstanding, is described as a 2003 to 2006 Chevrolet cab wrecker tow truck with a blue wheel.

Anyone with information about the crash or the other tow truck drivers can call Detective Juan Campos at 213-833-3713 or email him at 31480@lapd.online.