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Police identify suspect in truck crash into Long Beach apartment that killed 2

A man leaves flowers outside a boarded-up building.
A man who declined to be identified leaves flowers outside an apartment building that was struck by a pickup truck, killing a father and daughter inside before the driver fled the scene.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
By Jaimie DingStaff Writer 
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Long Beach police have identified and are searching for the man suspected of crashing a truck into an apartment last week, killing a father and his 3-year-old daughter.

Octavio Montano Islas, 24, is suspected of driving the 2014 Dodge Ram that slammed into an apartment building in the 6600 block of Rose Avenue. Police allege Islas fled the scene on foot.

The crash resulted in the death of Long Beach residents Jose Palacios-Gonzalez, 42, and his daughter, Samantha Palacios. By Thursday morning, a GoFundMe page set up to support the family’s funeral costs had raised more than $35,000.

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A man wearing a Dodgers jersey with his hands folded across his torso
Octavio Montano Islas, 24, is suspected of driving a truck that slammed into a Long Beach apartment, killing two people inside.
(Long Beach Police Department)

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has issued a warrant for Islas’ arrest on suspicion of two counts of felony manslaughter, one count of felony driving under the influence, and one count of felony hit and run.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Kevin Johansen at (562) 570-7355.

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Jaimie Ding

Jaimie Ding is a Business reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times, she wrote for the Oregonian, the Sacramento Bee, the Associated Press and Claremont Colleges newspaper, the Student Life. Ding was raised in the Portland, Ore., area and graduated from Scripps College with a degree in politics. Outside of journalism, she’s also passionate about good food and live music. She was a member of the 2021-22 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class.

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