Girl Killed in Hit-Run; Witnesses Catch Suspect

An 11-year-old girl was struck and killed Monday in a crosswalk near her South Gate school by a driver who fled and was captured with the help of witnesses who blocked his car, police said.

The victim was Jasmine Olmos, a native of Mexico, who lived with her grandmother, Lt. Russell Beecher said. Juan Lara, 46, of Norwalk, was held in lieu of $5,000 bail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-run, he said.

The girl was in a crosswalk on Southern Avenue after leaving South Gate Junior High School when she was hit by Lara’s pickup truck, Beecher said. The truck was traveling at about 35 m.p.h. and the impact threw the girl about 100 feet in front of the truck, which ran over her, Beecher said. Two motorists--Sara Ramirez, 52, of South Gate, and Raul Gonzales, 33, of Bell--gave chase and pulled their cars in front of and behind Lara’s truck a few blocks away, Beecher said. Lara remained in his truck until police arrived.