A 16-year-old Long Beach boy who police say intentionally drove his car into a man near Houghton Park in July has been arrested on suspicion of murder, according to authorities.
Police allege the teenager, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, was behind the wheel of a dark-colored sedan when he deliberately crashed into 29-year-old Leobardo Cervantes, who was riding a bicycle near California Avenue and Harding Street on July 9.
Authorities responded to the scene where they found Cervantes injured and lying in the roadway, police said. Paramedics rushed him to a local hospital where he remained for nearly two weeks before dying from his injuries on July 22, police said.
Through their investigation, detectives identified the teenager, who was already being held in jail on unrelated charges, as a suspect in the crash and booked him Wednesday on suspicion of murder, police said.
A motive for the crash remains under investigation, police said. Detectives will present the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office later this week for filing consideration, they added.