Youth Run Down by Car; Rival Gang Suspected
A Van Nuys teen-ager was run down and critically injured in front of his junior high school Wednesday by a car containing youths believed to be rival gang members, Los Angeles police said.
Police said the 15-year-old was struck by a car about 8 a.m. on Kester Avenue just south of Saticoy Street and across the street from Fulton Junior High School where he is a student. No arrests were made, and the victim’s name was not released.
The victim suffered a severe head injury and was taken to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, where he was in critical condition.
Detective James Vojtecky said the car was abandoned nearby and its occupants, believed to be at least four young men, fled. Police later learned that the car had been stolen earlier in Van Nuys.
“This incident was not a traffic accident. It was intentional,” Vojtecky said.
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