13-Year-Old Isabella Cortes Killed, Jose Aguilar Arrested in Pico Rivera Carjacking Accident

Isabella Cortes Dies, Jose Aguilar Arrested after Pico Rivera Accident

 
PICO RIVERA, CA (July 9, 2020) — 13-year-old Isabella Cortes died Sunday during a carjacking along Whittier Boulevard near Deland Avenue.
 
The incident first occurred in the 9200 block of Whittier Boulevard around 2:00 p.m. Per Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez, the parents of two girls — ages 18 and 13 — and two boys — ages 11 and 8 — went inside a store, leaving the van’s engine and air conditioning running for their children.
 
As the children waited, 26-year-old Jose Elias Aguilar hopped into the driver’s seat of the van and ordered the children to get out.
 
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, before the children could escape to safety, the carjacker started the vehicle and drove off.
 
Investigations proved that the 18-year-old daughter had briefly fought with the suspect before she, as well as the 11-year-old boy, jumped out of the van to safety — both sustained minor injuries.
 
However, as the driver continued down Whittier Boulevard at a high rate of speed, the 8-year-old boy was ejected from the minivan at Deland Avenue. As a result, paramedics treated him for major injuries.
 
From there, the van continued bearing down Whittier Boulevard at about 60 mph. Isabella ejected from the van at the intersection of Lindsey Avenue and Whittier Boulevard.
 
She struck an object upon being ejected and died at the scene.
 
The carjacker, identified as Aguilar of Los Angeles, struck another car at Rosemead Boulevard.
 
Aguilar subsequently ran from the disabled van and tried carjacking a man exiting out of his vehicle. However, the man fought back, trying to protect his wife and child, before Aguilar ran back toward his disabled minivan.
 
During his attempted escape, street vendors nearby detained him until deputies arrived. Aguilar suffered minor injuries in the incident and was booked on suspicion of carjacking, murder and kidnapping.

Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Isabella Cortes.

If you are ready to file a wrongful death lawsuit, call Steve Mehr at (800) 625-5052. In addition, you can request a police report of the car accident.