Two 17-year-old males who were involved in an alleged street racing incident that led to the death of a San Gabriel man were released from custody Tuesday pending a return to court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, August 15.
Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office has filed vehicular manslaughter charges against the minors in the death of Gabriel Crispo, 49, who was killed while jogging on the Huntington Drive median on Thursday, July 4 at 10:34 a.m. Crispo and his dog—which also died at the scene—were struck by a white Mercedes at the intersection of Huntington Drive at Kenilworth Rd. It is believed that the Mercedes had been involved in a street race with at least one other vehicle before it careened out of control before crossing the median and striking Crispo.
The two suspects will be electronically monitored while the San Marino Police Department continues its investigation. San Marino Police Chief John Incontro told The Tribune that detectives are searching for more video footage that could provide further insight into the incident. According to witnesses, two cars—a blue Toyota and the white Mercedes—were traveling westbound on Huntington Drive at a high rate of speed when the Mercedes attempted to cut off the Toyota. The driver of the Mercedes lost control of his vehicle and struck Crispo and his dog in the median at Kenilworth, where they were crossing Huntington Drive. The Mercedes continued about fifty yards into the eastbound lane, crossing four lanes of traffic before it came to rest. A third car, also driven by a male minor, might also have been involved in the incident, but that driver was not charged and did not appear in court on Tuesday.
The two minors who were charged had been incarcerated at the Eastlake Juvenile Detention Center in Los Angeles since Thursday but are now on house arrest.
Incontro said that an accident reconstruction expert is currently reviewing data that has been provided by the San Marino and Alhambra Police Departments. He also told The Tribune that the two cars in question-and possibly the third-left a location in San Gabriel and traveled north on San Gabriel Blvd. The cars then turned left and headed westbound on Huntington Drive before the fatal accident. Incontro said the SMPD is still looking for video footage that will determine the remainder of the cars’ path before the fatal impact. Though the forensic examination is not complete, Incontro said the cars “were traveling faster than other traffic,” according to their evidence.
More than 100 friends, family members and former students assembled at the crash site on Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil. Crispo was a Spanish and ESL teacher at Bosco Tech and St. Francis High Schools and Pasadena City College.
Funeral services are set for Monday July 14th and a gofundme account is being created to help with funeral expenses.
