[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] motorist who allegedly struck and killed a cyclist in South Los Angeles drove away from the scene under pressure from her passengers and later attempted to cover up the crime by crudely painting the vehicle, police and reports say.
The LAPD on Thursday (June 7) announced the arrest of 23-year-old Mariah Kandise Banks in the horrific hit-and-run death of South L.A. man Frederick Frazier, known as WOON to friends, who was 22. Banks allegedly hit Frazier as he rode his bicycle on Normandie and Manchester avenues on April 10. The force of the collision was so strong it broke his bike in two pieces.
The white Porsche Cayenne SUV that hit him did not stop and render aid. The day after, during a gathering to remember Frazier and demand more safety on the streets, another driver allegedly drove through the crowd of cyclists and pedestrians, striking and seriously injuring one man.
An arrest was also made in that incident, police said last week; 19-year-old Alana Ealy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for April 11 incident. Ealy posted bail, according to StreetsBlogLA.
LAPD Det. Ryan Moreno, who announced the arrest in Frazier’s death, said at a press conference that many tipsters reached out and offered information that helped locate Banks. Moreno said the vehicle was taken to a home in Moreno Valley, where it was found to have been covered in “a real cheap paint job, like they had used a brush or spray painted it.”
Hours after the vehicle was found, Banks called to turn herself in, Moreno said. She was booked on May 11 and her first court-date was June 8. Police said they are still looking for other people who might have helped Banks after the incident.
* Above, Beverly Owens, mother of Frederick Frazier, at LAPD press conference/Via CBS Los Angeles Live.
“My son has been gone 57 days today; it seems like Day One,” said Beverly Owens, Frazier’s mother, during the Thursday press conference.
“Frederick was my only son, and I’m just really waiting for everyone to be held accountable,” she added. “I really do think it was an accident, but the accident turned into a crime once they ran …”
Citing social media postings by people associated with the suspect and Frazier’s family, StreetBlogsLA reported last month that the passengers inside the vehicle with Banks “panicked,” and even got in a second accident as they fled the scene.
Edin Barrientos, a friend of the victim and a fellow cyclist, said he and others are pushing to make the streets of South L.A. safer for all. Three more fatal hit-and-runs followed in a span of a few days after the April 10 killing of Frazier in South Los Angeles, alarming authorities and safety advocates.
“We’re going to keep organizing and get together with other bike advocates and organizations to get justice for Woon,” Barrientos told L.A. Taco. “If we don’t get it through the court system, then we’ll get it through laws, through more bike lanes, and through educating the public about just being aware of your surroundings while driving.”
RELATED: Horrific Hit-and-Run in South L.A. Leaves 22-Year-Old Cyclist Dead, Police Search for Suspect
