Brenda Cardenas had just finished having Thanksgiving dinner with her immediate family Thursday night. Brenda’s sister, Erica Cardenas, stepped outside and walked to the local store to pick up an item. That was the last time Brenda would ever see her.

“I got a call at 3 a.m. from the coroner asking if I knew who Erica Cardenas was,” Brenda said. “They told me they were sorry for my loss.”

Erica was killed when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Pacific Avenue around 9:30 p.m., authorities said. Police said the driver was traveling at high speed, leaving the car with major front-end damage after the violent crash.

A mother of five—a 12-year-old being her oldest—Erica had lived a complex life, but she was finally on the right path before her life was cut short, her sister said.

“She was so kind and nice to everybody,” Brenda said. “If someone was hungry, she’d give them food.”

Friends and family have created a fundraiser to collect money to give Erica a proper sendoff, Brenda said.

The pandemic has hit their family hard, Brenda added, which has brought on economic troubles. Her day jobs consisted of baby-sitting and house cleaning, but with fewer people allowing strangers in their homes, Brenda has struggled to pay for her sister’s services.

“I want people to remember how kind she was,” Brenda said.

Long Beach police are still trying to find the driver suspected of killing Erica. The person was driving a sedan and hit Erica while she was crossing Pacific in an unmarked crosswalk, according to the LBPD.

“The driver did not stop and immediately fled the area,” police said in a statement.

Police urged anyone with with information about the crash to contact detectives Kelsey Myers or Kevin Matter at 562-570-7355. Anonymous tips can be sent through LA Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.