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A 22-year-old man driving a stolen car struck and killed a pedestrian Wednesday in Malibu while trying to speed away from deputies, who had called off their pursuit moments earlier, authorities said.
The 28-year-old pedestrian — identified by the coroner’s office as Juan Antonio Castillo of Inglewood — was emptying trash when he was struck, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Castillo died at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 8 a.m. in the 27500 block of Pacific Coast Highway, according to the sheriff’s department. Reports from the scene identified him as a gardener.
The suspect, who resides in the Santa Monica and Venice areas, was rescued by deputies from the car after it crashed into parked vehicles and caught fire, said sheriff’s Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries. Three deputies were treated for possible smoke inhalation.
A deputy patrolling the Zuma Beach area was alerted by an automated license plate reader to a possible stolen vehicle. The deputy drove east on Pacific Coast Highway and located the vehicle in the area of Winding Way West, Navarro-Suarez said.
“The deputy followed the confirmed stolen vehicle on Pacific Coast Highway and Morning View Drive and initiated a pre-stop coordination as he requested backup from additional patrol units,” Navarro-Suarez said.
“Upon sufficient backup units arriving, a traffic stop was initiated. The driver, identified as the suspect, pulled the vehicle over to the right on Zumirez Drive and Pacific Coast Highway and a female passenger exited the vehicle.
The suspect then sped off, prompting a 15- to 30-second pursuit, but the on-scene sheriff’s department supervisor canceled the chase just west of Paradise Cove Road due to the vehicle’s speed and erratic operation, Navarro- Suarez said.
“Moments later, as the suspect continued to drive the vehicle at a high rate of speed, the suspect lost control of the vehicle as he passed Winding Way approaching the 27500 block of Pacific Coast Highway,” Navarro- Suarez said. “The suspect struck a pedestrian, killing him instantly.
“The suspect’s vehicle then hit three parked vehicles which led to another vehicle collision with a truck traveling eastbound on Pacific Coast Highway. The driver of the truck was not injured.”
Deputies still in the area saw the smoke from the crash and when they arrived at the scene were able to rescue the suspect from the fiery wreckage, Navarro-Suarez said.
The female passenger was taken into custody for questioning.
A section of Pacific Coast Highway was closed while an investigation was conducted. Officials reopened one lane in each direction around 4 p.m., and the highway was fully reopened about 20 minutes later, according to the California Highway Patrol.
–City News Service
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