LAPD sergeant charged in Tustin hit-and-run crash that left 19-year-old dead
TUSTIN, Calif. (KABC) -- A Los Angeles police sergeant has been charged in a hit-and-run crash in Tustin that left a 19-year-old dead.
Carlos Gonzalo Coronel, 40, of Buena Park, has been charged with one felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing great bodily injury and one felony count of hit and run with permanent injury or death.
He's also been charged with one felony enhancement of great bodily injury.
The deadly crash happened in the early morning hours of February 1.
Coronel is accused of driving his Chevrolet Silverado after a night of drinking with his brother-in-law, fatally striking Imanol Salvador Gonzalez, who was walking in the street near Nisson Road and Del Amo Avenue.
Coronel allegedly did not stop to see what he hit and did not call 911.
"Despite significant front-end damage to his truck, Coronel never called 911," read a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's Office released on Wednesday. "When his girlfriend drove Coronel back to his Buena Park home, Coronel is also accused of instructing his girlfriend to turn around to avoid Nisson Road, the location where Gonzalez had been hit. In the hours after Gonzalez was killed, Coronel is also accused of searching the Internet to see if there had been a fatal hit and run in Tustin."
The DA's office said Coronel allegedly drove by the scene where Tustin police officers were investigating Gonzalez's death and did not alert them that he had been involved in a crash at that same intersection.
In February, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told Eyewitness News his department was cooperating with the investigation, calling the alleged actions "absolutely unacceptable."
ABC7 also learned Coronel has criminal history.
He was involved in a hit-and-run in 2011, a DUI to which he pleaded no contest. A probation violation from that case landed the 40-year-old back in court, with the judge saying Coronel failed to pay fines and finish his community service.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez's family, who spoke with ABC7 shortly after the crash, said they're hoping justice is served.
READ MORE | Heartbroken parents want justice for son killed in Tustin hit-and-run
Coronel faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison if he's convicted on all counts. He's scheduled to be arraigned next Friday in Santa Ana.
