Baby Dies in Crash of Car Driven by Unlicensed Youth

A car driven by an unlicensed 15-year-old driver slammed into another car and careened into a power pole and a fire hydrant, killing a 5-month-old boy who was a passenger in the vehicle, authorities said Saturday.

The accident south of downtown Los Angeles occurred when the driver apparently ran a stop sign Friday afternoon, Sgt. Stan Massey said. The youth was driving south on Trinity Street and struck a car westbound on 23rd Street, Massey said.

A baby riding on the lap of a 14-year-old girl in the front seat of the car was fatally injured. Xavier Mandujno Jr. died at California Medical Center from massive head injuries, Massey said.

The driver, the baby’s parents, Xavier Mandujno, 20, and Rosie Torres, 18, and the 14-year-old girl were treated for minor injuries. The driver of the other car, Ricardo Trujillo, 24, and a passenger in his car, Sonia Ramons, 26, also were treated for minor injuries, he said.

The 15-year-old driver was not booked, officers said, but evidence was to be presented to the district attorney’s office for possible filing of criminal charges.