Children Thrown From Moving Van In Fatal Carjacking: Police

PICO RIVERA, CA — A 13-year-old girl was killed when she was ejected from a speeding van during a carjacking in Pico Rivera, authorities said Monday. Her siblings were also either pushed or forced to jump from the moving vehicle, leaving her eight-year-old brother seriously injured according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

CBS2 identified the girl as Isabella Cortes.

The violent carjackinG ended after the van crashed and nearby street vendors held the suspect down until police arrived. The family's van was taken from the 9200 block of Whittier Boulevard about 2 p.m. Sunday, said Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez.

Cortes and three siblings -- 8-year-old brother, 11-year-old brother and 18-year-old sister -- were waiting in a parked van outside La Mano Tortilleria at 9237 Whittier Boulevard while their parents went in to get food, the deputy said.

That's when 26-year-old Jose Elias Aguilar of Los Angeles got into the van, according to investigators.

"He noticed the children in the back seat and yelled `Vamanos!` (Get out) to them. Before the children were able to safely exit the vehicle, the suspect drove off from the location at a high rate of speed," Navarro-Suarez said.

"Immediately afterwards, the side doors to the van slid open and the 18-year-old female briefly fought with the suspect, before she jumped from the van," Navarro-Suarez said. "At about the same time, the 11-year-old male was able to jump out of the van to safety with both sustaining minor injuries."

Aguilar continued westbound on Whittier Boulevard at a high rate of speed and the 8-year-old boy was "forcefully ejected from the van" at Deland Avenue, suffering major injuries, the deputy said.

"Seconds later, the suspect was driving at approximately 60 miles per hour, when the 13-year-old female was ejected from the vehicle at the intersection of Lindsey Avenue and Whittier Boulevard," she said. "The female struck a stationary object, and unfortunately, sustained fatal injuries at the scene."

Aguilar continued on Whittier Boulevard when he struck another vehicle at Rosemead. Boulevard, disabling the van, Navarro-Suarez said. He ran from the vehicle toward the Whittier-Narrows Recreation Area where he saw a man get out of a vehicle and he tried to carjack that one. The driver fought back because his wife and child were still inside the vehicle and it moved about 100 feet before crashing into a bridge, she said.

Aguilar attempted to run back to the disabled van. "Street vendors nearby saw the events that just occurred and several of them detained the suspect until deputies arrived on scene," the deputy said.

Aguilar suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment before he was booked on suspicion of carjacking, murder and kidnapping, Navarro-Suarez said.

"He was recently arrested and released on zero bail for felony possession of a dirk/dagger and vandalism and is currently on summary probation for other charges," she said.

Anyone with information was asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.