Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a pedestrian in Whittier Monday night.

A call came in just before 7 p.m. reporting the crash on Lakeland Road, Whittier Police Department Lt. Tatman said.

Investigators believe the victim had been walking on the sidewalk when a vehicle traveling eastbound struck him.

The victim, described only as a Hispanic adult, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Tatman said.

The driver of the vehicle did not stop to help the victim and continued eastbound on Lakeland.

Authorities did not release a suspect or vehicle description.

A man died in a crash between a car and an SUV in Santa Fe Springs early Friday, authorities said.

Whittier police investigate a deadly two-vehicle collision on Carmenita Road near the 5 Freeway in Santa Fe Springs on Oct. 12, 2018.

The fatal collision took place just after 4:30 a.m. along Carmenita Road, Whittier police Lt. Ryan Todd said. The two vehicles involved were an older-model Chevrolet Camaro and a 1990s-model Ford Explorer.

The Camaro was heading north on Carmenita Road just before the the crash, Todd said. A Ford Explorer had been heading south and was making a U-turn at the time of impact.

Paramedics pronounced the driver of the Camaro dead at the scene, Todd said. He was estimated to be in his 50s or 60s.

The man at the wheel of the Explorer suffered injuries described as moderate.

No arrests or citations had been made as the investigation continued Friday afternoon, Todd said.

Both directions of Carmenita Road were shut down through about 11:30 a.m. as police conducted an investigation.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Whittier Police Department, which provides law enforcement services to Santa Fe Springs.

Any witnesses, or anyone with information, can reach the department at 562-567-9200.

A 27-year-old woman was sentenced to more than 350 years in prison for a 2017 shooting rampage across Whittier, Pico Rivera and La Mirada that left one person dead and three injured, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

Reyna Gomez allegedly committed the attacks alongside an accomplice, Alejandro Lazo, in April 2017. Spanning across multiple cities, the crime spree lasted more than three hours and targeted innocent bystanders.

She has been sentenced to the maximum term of 83 years and four months in state prison, plus 270 years to life, prosecutors said. She was convicted of one count of murder, 14 counts of attempted murder and one count of carjacking on Sept. 13.

Meanwhile, Lazo, 22, is facing the same charges and is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Dec. 11.

The pair launched the deadly attacks on April 29, 2017, when they were driving a stolen Kia Rio in an unincorporated area near Whittier and shot at a pedestrian, sheriff’s investigators have said.

The man was wounded but survived.

The pair then went on to allegedly carjack a driver at gunpoint in Pico Rivera. The vehicle, a green Nissan Pathfinder, was later found abandoned in Whittier.

From there, Gomez and Lazo drove to Whittier and shot a man in an alleyway, according to prosecutors.

Jose Sahagun is seen in a photo posted to a GoFundMe page.

The victim was wounded but survived.

They later shot at two vehicles, injuring another person before going to La Mirada while still driving the stolen vehicle, prosecutors said.

Once they got to La Mirada, the two stopped at an intersection and started opening fire on several vehicles, according to prosecutors. One of those drivers was killed.

He was identified by authorities as Jose Ricardo Sahagun, 44.

Authorities eventually tracked down Gomez and Lazo inside another vehicle near the scene, prosecutors said in a news release.

They were arrested shortly after.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Whittier Police Department.

A man found guilty of murder in the 2017 shooting of his girlfriend in their Whittier home could spend the rest of his life in prison, officials announced Tuesday.

Rafael Ayala Castillo, 57, was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Rafael Castillo is seen in a photo released by Whittier police on Sept. 12, 2017.

A jury last November found him guilty of first-degree murder, as well as a special allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm that caused great bodily injury and death.

Officials said the victim, 54-year-old Sandra Rodriguez Polanco, had been in a relationship with Castillo for almost a decade and shared an apartment with him in the 11700 block of Floral Drive in Whittier when the incident took place.

According to court testimony, a relative of Polanco’s went to the residence on Sept. 12, 2017 and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities responded to the scene and started searching for Castillo, who was found and detained in Reseda that afternoon, prosecutors said.

Witnesses testified that the couple had been having relationship issues before the murder, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The Whittier Police Department investigated the case.

The driver of an SUV fled  after slamming into several cars parked at a business in Santa Fe Springs early Sunday.

Whittier police said other than possible injuries to the driver or any of his or her passengers, nobody was hurt in the 5:30 a.m. incident in the 12500 block of Florence Avenue.

The perpetrator abandoned the SUV and left, Jay Tatman with Whittier police told KTLA. Video from the scene shows an overturned vehicle near other heavily damaged cars.

Investigators said as of 12:45 p.m., they have not detained anybody in the crash.

Authorities provided no further information.

KTLA’s Steve Granado contributed to this story.

A police chase ended with a fiery crash in Uptown Whittier on Monday, killing an innocent driver, authorities said.

The  pursuit began about 11 a.m. when an officer spotted an alleged incident of road rage and attempted to pull over the aggressor in the area of Whittier Boulevard and Greenleaf Avenue, the Whittier Police Department said in a written statement.

A police pursuit ended with a fiery crash in Whittier on Feb. 18, 2019, sending both a suspect and an uninvolved motorist to the hospital, officials said. (Credit: KTLA)

The driver refused to pull over, initiating a short chase that wound through the streets of Uptown Whittier, Whittier police Officer John Scoggins said.

"During the pursuit, the suspect attempted to ram at least three of our responding patrol cars, causing them to take evasion action to avoid a collision," according to the police statement.

The chase came to an end minutes later when the fleeing suspect slammed into another uninvolved vehicle at Newlin Avenue and Wardman Street.

Witness video shows the suspect's vehicle engulfed in flames.

The fleeing suspect jumped out of the burning car and tried to run but was quickly captured by officers, Scoggins said.

Firefighters took both the suspect and the other driver to hospitals, Scoggins said.

A police pursuit ended with a fiery crash in Whittier on Feb. 18, 2019, sending both a suspect and an uninvolved motorist to the hospital, officials said. (Credit: KTLA)

The suspect was being detained at a hospital in stable condition, he said.

Police identified him as 34-year-old Kevin Vargas of Santa Fe Springs. He was expected to be booked into jail on suspicion of crimes including evading police and assault with a deadly weapon once released from the hospital.

The other driver struck by the suspect succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, police said.

The California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation into the crash.

Anyone with information can reach Whittier police at 562-567-9255. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Video courtesy of Alexandra Leon.

A man who was arrested after a pursuit ended in a fatal crash in Whittier earlier this week has been charged with murder, officials announced.

Kevin Vargas, 24, was also charged with fleeing a police vehicle causing a death, hit-and-run resulting in a death and four counts of assault on a police officer, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Vargas remains on probation for a December 2017 incident where he fled a police officer’s vehicle, court records show.

Prosecutors also said he previously faced two misdemeanor counts of DUI.

On Monday, Vargas allegedly led authorities on a pursuit after being spotted in an alleged road rage incident in Whittier. He then drove into a dead-end street, but made a U-turn toward officers who were pursuing him, officials said. Whittier police alleged that Vargas tried to ram at least three responding patrol cars.

The pursuit ended when Vargas crashed into an SUV driven by Isaias Rodrigues Cruz near the intersection of Wardman Street and Pickering Avenue. Witness video shows the Vargas’ vehicle was engulfed in flames. Cruz later died from his injuries.

Vargas tried to get away from police, but he was eventually arrested.

He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Thursday and is due back in court on March 7, DA officials said.  His bail was set at $2.4 million.

Vargas faces a maximum sentence of 27 years to life in prison if convicted as charged.

A man was hospitalized at a trauma center following a Wednesday night shooting in Whittier, officials said.

Police investigate the scene of a shooting in the 12000 block of East Broadway in Whittier on Feb. 27, 2019. (Credit: KTLA)

The shooting was reported just after 8 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 12000 block of East Broadway, just west of Hoover Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. John Butorovich said.

A man estimated to be 25 years old was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound and taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment, the captain said. His condition was not clear.

Details regarding the circumstances of the shooting, which were being investigated by the Whitter Police Department, were not available.

Anyone with information can reach Whittier police at 562-567-9200. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of intoxicated driving after his RV struck a building along Whittier Boulevard in Whittier on Sunday, officials said.

The crash took place just before noon at Whittier Boulevard and Costa Glen Avenue, Whittier Police Department Lt. Jay Tatman said.

The RV ended up piercing through the front of the building, which houses a business, the lieutenant said. Several residential units in the back of the building were not damaged.

Police investigate after a recreational vehicle crashed into a building at Whittier Boulevard and Costa Glen Avenue in Whittier on May 12, 2019. (Credit: OnScene)

No injuries were reported.

Police determined the driver of the RV, a Whittier man in his 60s, was driving impaired, he said. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

A building inspector was summoned to the scene to examine the structural integrity of the building, police said.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI after she allegedly led Whittier police on a pursuit with her 5-year-old child inside the car early Monday.

In addition to DUI, 26-year-old Jazmine Renea Pratcher of El Monte could face evading, child endangerment and hit-and-run charges, according to authorities. She has a no-bail hold for a probation violation and was booked at the Whittier City Jail, officials said.

Whittier police suspected that she was driving while intoxicated and tried to pull her over at around 2 a.m., the Police Department said. The officers initiated a pursuit when she did not stop.

Pratcher allegedly drove across the front lawn of a home, crashed into a parked vehicle, continued driving and eventually pulled into a motel. She then exited the vehicle with her 5-year-old child, Whittier police said.

The officers had not been aware that the child was in the car, according to the agency. Whittier police did not disclose how long the pursuit lasted.

Pratcher ran toward her room in the motel but after a brief struggle, police managed to detain her, authorities said.

The officers subsequently checked the room and found an 8-year-old child who had been left alone inside, the Police Department said.

Officials took both children into protective custody.

Video from the scene shows Pratcher being handcuffed and taken into a patrol vehicle. Addressing the camera, she says while smiling, "Hey, is that the news?"

Footage also shows what appears to be her white Kia Soul outside the motel.

Police are also seen speaking to the children, a girl and a boy. Officers are heard asking them whether or not they were alone, and if they have shoes or a jacket.

Pratcher is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday morning, Whittier police said.

Authorities provided no further details.

Police asked the public for help Wednesday in identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store in Whittier recently.

Surveillance images from the May 20 incident were posted on the Whittier Police Department’s Facebook page.

Those images show the suspect at the counter of an AM-PM mini-mart in the 12000 block of East Rosecrans Avenue at about noon.

The suspect then pulled out a chrome semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at the clerks while continuing to walk around the counter, the Police Department stated.

The robber, who was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, fled the store after taking about $300 in cash from the registers.

The suspect was last seen driving eastbound on Rosecrans Avenue.

Anyone with information was asked to call detectives at 562-409-1869 or contact the crime tip line at 562-567-9299.

A vehicle slammed into a pole outside a Whittier church early Sunday, breaking into pieces and leaving the driver dead, authorities said.

Officers responded to reports of a crash outside Praise Chapel Whittier at around 12:50 a.m., Whittier police Lt. Mike Przybyl told KTLA. They arrived at the scene to find a vehicle split into at least three pieces with its solo occupant partially ejected from the car, the agency said.

Paramedics pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Authorities have not identified the victim, who's only described as a man. No other injuries were reported.

Police shut down the street near where the incident happened but later reopened it.

Officials provided no further details, including what might have caused the incident.

KTLA's Derrick Clemons contributed to this report. 

A collision in Santa Fe Springs early Sunday left two people injured, officials said.

A call about the crash in the 11700 block of Slauson Avenue came in around 12:20 a.m., Lt. Aaron Ruiz with Whittier police said.

A Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry collided, Ruiz said.

A male individual from one of the vehicles was taken to the hospital. The extent of his injuries was unclear, the lieutenant added.

The driver of the other car complained of pain and was also transported to the hospital, Ruiz said.

It's unknown if drugs, alcohol or racing were factors in the crash.

Authorities provided no further details.

Authorities are trying to determine how a man found dead on a Santa Fe Springs street Wednesday morning sustained his fatal injuries.

Ricky Munoz is shown in an undated photo provided by his mother on Sept. 18, 2019.

Police received a report of a man down in the 11700 block of Telegraph Road just before 1 a.m., Whittier Police Department spokesman John Scoggins said.

Arriving officers found the man bleeding from a traumatic head injury.

The man, later identified by his mother as 22-year-old Ricky Munoz, was pronounced dead at the scene, Scoggins said.

Investigators are trying to determine if the man’s wounds were the result of an altercation or if he may have been the victim of a hit-and-run crash, Lt. Mike Przybyl said.

Munoz's mother said her son had been at Maggie's Pub with his sister when someone stole his hat during an altercation.

Munoz was then struck by a hit-and-run driver as he chased the thief across Telegraph Road, Luz Jimenez said.

Police investigate the death of a man in Santa Fe Springs on Sept. 18, 2019.

Jimenez is asking the driver to go to police.

“If you have a son or a daughter, or if you even have a heart … just say something,” she said.

Police have not confirmed any details about the man's death, or said if they are investigating the case as a hit-and-run.

No suspect or vehicle descriptions have been given.

Police will check for surveillance video to help with their investigation.

Two people suspected of being involved in a fight with a man who was fatally struck by a passing vehicle have been arrested on suspicion of murder,  authorities said Thursday.

Whittier police said they arrested Anthony Edward Varela of Montebello and Kyle Michael Guinea-Mangubat of Pico Rivera, both 21, in the death of Ricky Munoz of Long Beach.

The suspects were allegedly involved in a fight with Munoz at a restaurant at around 1 a.m. Wednesday in the 11700 block of Telegraph Road moments before a passing driver fatally struck the victim, officials said.

Munoz’ mother, Luz Jimenez, previously said her 22-year-old son had been at Maggie’s Pub with his sister when somebody took his hat during an altercation. The victim was then hit by a driver as he chased the thief across Telegraph Road, Jimenez said.

Detectives managed to find and arrest Varela and Guinea-Mangubat on Wednesday evening, according to police. Each has been booked on suspicion of murder on $2 million bail, officials said.

Hours after the incident, the victim’s mother begged for those responsible to turn themselves in.

“If you have a son or a daughter, or if you even have a heart … just say something,” she said.

It’s unclear whether or not police have contacted the driver who struck Munoz.

Officials encouraged anyone with information to come forward as the case remains under investigation. Tipster can call Detective Kristian Rios at 562-409-1850 or 1-800-222-8477.

Two men have been charged with murder after they got into a bar fight in Santa Fe Springs and left the victim in the street where he was fatally struck by a passing vehicle, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Kyle Michael Mangubat, 21, and Anthony Edward Varela, 20, allegedly got into an altercation with Ricky Fernando Muñoz, 21, at a bar located in the 11900 block of Telegraph Road on Wednesday night.

According to prosecutors, the two men chased Muñoz into the street and left him in the road after assaulting him there. The victim’s mother previously told KTLA her son was with his sister at Maggie’s Pub when someone took his hat during a fight.

Muñoz was found bleeding from a traumatic head injury when officers later arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators later determined he was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene.

Whittier police said Thursday that Mangubat of Pico Rivera and Varela of Montebello were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Prosecutors and police have not said whether the hit-and-run driver has been found or what sort of prosecution he or she may face.

The two defendants each face a possible maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison if convicted, according to the DA’s office. Bail for both men has been set at $2 million.

Loved ones gathered Sunday to remember a 22-year-old Long Beach man who investigators say was killed after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver following a fight at a bar in Santa Fe Springs earlier this week.

Ricky Fernando Muñoz died at the scene of the fight, which took place just before 1 a.m. Wednesday in the 11700 block of Telegraph Road, according to Whittier Police Department and Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officials.

He was involved in a fight with two other men, who chased him into the street and assaulted him, police said. Muñoz was then struck by vehicle. The driver fled the scene.

Investigators subsequently arrested the two men allegedly involved in the fight on suspicion of murder.

Edward Varela, 21,  of Montebello and Kyle Michael Guinea-Mangubat, 21, of Pico Rivera each face a murder charge, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Friday. They were scheduled to appear in Los Angeles County Superior Court to answer to the charges on Sept. 27.

Muñoz's uncle, Angel Cabral, said the family was devastated.

"Ricky was the most harmless, loving guy," he said. "Very passive, very fun-going. He was 120 pounds soaking wet, 5-foot-nothing, just the nicest guy. Everybody loved him."

A fund has been established online to help Muñoz's family cover funeral expenses.

Police are searching for two suspects in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in Santa Fe Springs on Wednesday, authorities said.

Officers responded to the area of Telegraph Road and Laurel Avenue about 3:10 p.m. about a man “bleeding in the street” and found the victim suffering from stab wounds, according to police. They performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told investigators two men were seen fleeing the area before officers arrived, authorities said.

One of them has been described by police as a Hispanic man with a goatee who was possibly wearing an orange striped shirt and was seen riding an older gray BMX style dirt bike.

The other man was described by police as Hispanic and shorter than the other suspect, with a light complexion and shaved head.

Graves Middle School, which is located nearby, was placed on a lockdown that was later lifted.

No other details have been released as the search for the assailants continues.

Anyone with information can call Detective Kristian Rios at 562-409-1850 or reach Whittier police at 800-222-8477. Those wishing to remain anonymous can visit lacrimestoppers.org.

A man was arrested Friday night in the fatal stabbing of a man in Santa Fe Springs, the Whittier Police Department said.

Officers received reports of a man “bleeding in the street” Wednesday afternoon and responded to the area of Telegraph Road and Laurel Avenue at about 3:10 p.m. to find an unresponsive man  suffering from stab wounds, according to police.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses then told investigators they saw two men fleeing the area before officers arrived, according to Whittier police. As a result, officers locked down a nearby middle school and searched the area. But no one matching the suspects' descriptions was found.

On Friday, officers arrested Jordan Hurd in connection with the killing, Whittier police Sgt. Sam Reed said.

The 27-year-old was taken into custody in Whittier at about 11:30 p.m. and booked on $2 million bail, according to county inmate records.

Authorities did not identify the man killed and a motive for the killing is unknown.

No further details were immediately available.

Anyone with formation was asked to call Detective Kristian Rios at 562-409-1850, or call the department's crime tip line at 1-800-222-8477.

A death investigation is underway Tuesday after the bodies of a man and a woman were discovered inside a recreational vehicle in Whittier.

Helen Pacheco is seen in an image provided by a family member.

Police received a call from someone who entered the RV and made the discovery about 10:30 p.m. Monday, Whittier police Lt. Mike Przybyl said.

Arriving officers located the trailer with the man and woman inside in the 7000 block of Elmer Drive.

There was no word on what may have caused their deaths and investigators are not sure how long the trailer had been in the area.

A family member has identified the woman as 49-year-old Helen Pacheco from Downey.

Pacheco, a mother and grandmother, has been missing since Saturday, according to the unidentified family member. Her disappearance had been reported to the Downey Police Department.

The family member believes Pacheco went to the location intentionally to meet the man but was not sure why. Pacheco did not do drugs or drink, according to the family member.

Someone told the family member that at one point they heard a man and woman yelling at each other in the trailer.

The man has not been identified.