Local News in Brief : Reseda Man Faces Manslaughter Charges
A Reseda man was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter Friday after police found blue smudge marks on his car matching the clothing of a Van Nuys man who was killed Thursday by a hit-and-run driver while crossing a street.
Alfonso Oregon, 21, was arrested shortly before 11 a.m. when he walked out of his Vanowen Street apartment near Etiwanda Avenue, Los Angeles police Officer Ralph Kemptner said. Parked in front of the apartment was a yellow Mercury Marquis with blue markings on its dented front end, he said.
The color of the smudges matched the blue shirt worn by Howard Rau, 40, as he crossed Reseda Boulevard shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, police said. Officers said Rau was crossing about mid-block when he was hit by a southbound Mercury Marquis.
The impact spun the yellow car around until it came to a stop facing north, witnesses told police. The car was last seen turning east on Kittridge. Rau was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.
Later Thursday night, officers saw the yellow car parked in front of a Vanowen Street apartment building two blocks from the accident scene. Detectives staked it out and arrested Oregon as he walked to the car Friday morning.
Oregon was being held at the Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run. His bail was $5,000.
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