Robbery Suspects’ Getaway Car Hits, Kills Girl in Watts

A 7-year-old girl was killed when a car containing robbery suspects slammed into her in Watts on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Minutes later, witnesses to the incident chased down the car that struck the child and held one of the two occupants for police.

Minutes before the victim, identified only as Jennifer, was struck at 95th and San Pedro streets, five men attempted to rob a liquor store at 91st and Broadway, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Peter Vanson said.

Suddenly, something went wrong. A person working in the store opened fire on the robbers and chased them to their nearby parked cars and sped away. One of the cars struck Jennifer and narrowly missed her 12-year-old sister.

“I was at the accident scene five minutes afterward,” Vanson said. “It was terrible. But you have to distract yourself. Our job is to catch the suspects.”

Several witnesses saw the hit-and-run incident and some of them chased the speeding car in their own vehicles.

At 92nd and Flower streets, the hit-and-run car hit a street light and, although the two occupants attempted to run away, one was chased down and captured by a citizen in a nearby back yard. During an ensuing struggle, the citizen grabbed the man’s handgun and disarmed him.

A second man, believed to be the driver of the car, escaped on foot.

The man in custody was taken to the Southeast Division station and booked for investigation of murder, police said. His name was not immediately released.

Vanson said Jennifer and her sister lived in a foster home and that, as of Sunday night, another team of detectives had not been able to locate their mother or father.