Khalid Yagobbi Arrested for Murder After Allegedly Plowing Car Into Pedestrians - FBI Responds to Scene
A California man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after police believe he may have driven his car intentionally into a group of pedestrians in Long Beach on Saturday night.
Khalid Yagobbi, 46, was taken into custody in connection with the crash in which Romelia Aguilar, 60, of Long Beach was killed, according to the Long Beach Police Department, according to the Long Beach Post.
Six other people were injured in the 6:30 p.m. incident, five of whom were hospitalized.
Police said in a statement that a Chevrolet Bolt ran a red light, struck pedestrians and then hit vehicles in the opposite lane.
1 dead, 6 hurt in crash on Shoreline Drive in Downtown Long Beach https://t.co/bnos0AZRT9
— Long Beach Post (@LongBeachPost) October 15, 2023
“During the preliminary investigation, officers discovered evidence leading them to believe the collision was possibly intentional,” Long Beach police said in their statement.
“Due to the suspicious circumstances of the incident and current international events, the Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene,” police said.
“At this time, there is no indication that this incident was an act of terror nor associated with the current violence in Israel; however, the investigation is ongoing,” the statement said.
Yagobbi, of Los Angeles, was jailed on $2 million bail after being treated at a hospital.
“I want justice in respect to what happened. There was no reason for my sister to die such a tragic death,” Juan Carlos Cuarenta, Aguilar’s brother, said, according to KNBC-TV.
“I saw her on the ground and I grabbed her hand to check her pulse and she no longer had a pulse,” he said.
He said his sister had been in the area to attend a Halloween event with her family and stopped by the food truck where he works. The crash took place soon after she left, he said.
Man booked for murder after apparent intentional crash in Long Beach
A woman was killed after a driver slammed into her, several other pedestrians and occupied cars in Long Beach on Saturday evening, and new information from police indicates that the … https://t.co/Qo2RKizEWp pic.twitter.com/YR6PoUHb6h
— Wilmington Chronicles (@Wilmington_) October 15, 2023
“I returned to my working quarters and about 5 or 10 minutes later, I heard a car crash and so I went to check it out,” he said, noting that several of his sisters were hurt.
Juan Carlos said soon after, he found his sisters among the pedestrians who were hurt.
“She was a brilliant person, a really good person,” he said. “Everyone who knows her will only have good things to say about her.”
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish explained the reason for the FBI’s presence, according to the police statement.
“The violence and acts of terror abroad have generated concern and anxiety throughout our community, and this apparent act of violence has only added to that anxiety,” he said.
“The immediate response by our officers, detectives, and partners from the FBI has been instrumental in this investigation, and while there is no evidence indicating a nexus to the current conflict in the Middle East, we will remain vigilant as we continue investigating every aspect of this crime,” he said.
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