Mother of Pedestrian Killed in West Hollywood Crash Sues County, Sheriff's Deputy

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA — The mother of a pedestrian killed in a crash involving a sheriff's patrol car and another vehicle in West Hollywood in 2015 is suing the county and the other driver on claims of wrongful death and negligence.

Patricia Minero, the mother of 27-year-old Jonathan Pena of Hollywood, is seeking unspecified damages on allegations of wrongful death and negligence.

Her lawsuit, filed Friday, names Los Angeles County and Viridiana Perez, who was behind the wheel of a car involved in a collision with the patrol vehicle shortly before Pena was hit, as defendants.

A sheriff's department representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit.

The crash occurred near the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards about 11:05 p.m. last Oct. 15. Pena, a West Hollywood motel desk clerk, died at a hospital.

The two deputies in the patrol car were hospitalized in serious condition, as was another pedestrian, 40-year-old USC cardiologist Michael Fong, the LASD reported previously.

The deputies were responding to a report of a felony spousal assault. As their patrol vehicle — with lights and sirens activated — was headed east on Santa Monica, it clipped the rear of another vehicle, ran over the curb and struck the pedestrians, according to the sheriff's department.

However, the lawsuit alleges the deputy driving the patrol car lost control while trying to pass Perez's car. The patrol car hit a curb and went onto the sidewalk, where Pena and the other pedestrian were struck, the lawsuit states.

The suit alleges both the deputy and Perez were driving negligently. The complaint also maintains the sheriff's department negligently hired, trained and supervised Deputy Matt Ahrari, who is identified by name in the suit but not listed as a defendant.

— City News Service, photo via Shutterstock