Boy Critically Injured in Hit-Run Improving
As a 6-year-old boy continued to improve after being critically injured in a hit-and-run accident in South-Central Los Angeles, the suspected driver was released on his own recognizance after being arraigned Thursday on felony charges, authorities said.
Israel Castro Mejia, 60, pleaded not guilty in Compton Superior Court to charges that he struck Edith Ramirez Sanchez, 28, and her three children as they crossed Central Avenue at 87th Street Tuesday shortly after dawn.
Mejia was tracked down by Los Angeles police from the car’s license plate, which was dislodged in the impact with the pedestrians, authorities said.
Sanchez suffered minor injuries, but her 6-year-old son, Amos, was hospitalized in critical condition with internal injuries, broken legs and a fractured left hand. Amos was improving and “out of danger,” according to a hospital spokeswoman at Martin Luther King Jr./ Drew Medical Center. Sanchez’s son, Bryan, 3, was in good condition with minor head trauma. Her 2-year-old son, Edgar, was not hurt because she was carrying him, authorities said.
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