Fugitive accused of killing LA teen biker captured in El Salvador

A fugitive accused of the hit-and-run homicide of a 16-year-old bicyclist in Los Angeles has been captured practically two years after fleeing the US.

Jonathan Rodriguez, 33, of LA, was taken into custody at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport Thursday after authorities tracked him to El Salvador, the place he had allegedly been hiding underneath his twin citizenship, in keeping with KTLA.

Rodriguez is accused of killing Jonathan “Junior” Flores throughout a November 2024 confrontation involving a big group of bicyclists close to BMO Stadium.

The lethal incident unfolded round 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, when a gaggle of roughly 40 cyclists grew to become concerned in an altercation with the driving force of a blue BMW on Figueroa Avenue close to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in keeping with the California Freeway Patrol.

Precisely what sparked the confrontation stays unclear.

Investigators say the chaos quickly spilled right into a car parking zone close to the stadium, the place Flores and different cyclists had ridden by a gap in a fence.

A driver in a black Honda allegedly adopted Flores into the lot earlier than hanging him with the car. The 16-year-old was killed whereas the driving force sped away.

Investigators recognized Rodriguez because the suspected driver only a day later, however authorities later decided that Rodriguez had fled to Mexico, prompting the issuance of a $2 million arrest warrant.

Detectives served a search warrant at a LA residence linked to Rodriguez and seized the 2 automobiles allegedly related to the incident, a blue 2021 BMW sedan and a black 2018 Honda Accord.

Investigators finally realized Rodriguez had left Mexico and traveled to El Salvador, the place he was in a position to benefit from his twin citizenship.

The worldwide manhunt lastly started closing in after Rodriguez’s lawyer contacted the Los Angeles County District Lawyer’s Workplace to barter his give up.

The California Freeway Patrol then labored with the US Marshals Service, which coordinated with Salvadoran authorities and Rodriguez’s lawyer to rearrange his return.

On Aug. 27, Rodriguez boarded a flight from El Salvador certain for Los Angeles. He was arrested at LAX with out incident and booked into jail, authorities stated.

“This homicide suspect was taken into custody because of the unrelenting dedication of our detectives and the cooperation of the USA Marshals Service and the El Salvadorian authorities,” CHP Chief Chris Margaris instructed KTLA.

“For the previous two years, our detectives refused to surrender their pursuit of justice to apprehend the individual accountable for this mindless act of violence.”

Flores’ loss of life devastated his household and buddies, who remembered {the teenager} as a vibrant and beloved pupil. His aunt described him as a “good, loving, quiet, foolish boy” in a GoFundMe marketing campaign following his loss of life.

“He’s liked by so many individuals,” she wrote. “He left a constructive impression on so many individuals. He didn’t deserve this.”

Mates additionally stated Flores was not concerned within the preliminary confrontation and that one other bike owner might have struck the BMW’s aspect mirror earlier than the lethal chase, in keeping with CBS New.

CHP Sgt. Dan Kene instructed the outlet that the crash was “100% preventable” within the aftermath of the tragedy.

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