LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said they are looking for a suspect in a hit-and-run where a 19-month-old who was left nearby died less than a month after.
On Feb. 18 around 11:19 p.m., Las Vegas police said two children were injured in a crash when a driver hit a wall in the east valley. Police said one child was 19 months old, previously listing their condition as critical. The second child was 9 years old, initially reported with minor injuries.
BREAKING STORY: LVMPD: Children taken to UMC Trauma after being left by driver who crashed into wall in east valley
The driver from this crash has been identified as 28-year-old Fredy Escamilla-Lopez, who was driving a 2004 Nissan Titan.
Evidence collected by police at the time indicated Escamilla-Lopez was traveling north on Spanish Drive, north of Spanish View Lane that night. The driver drifted left of center according to police. This is when the driver crossed the southbound travel lane and drove onto the sidewalk before the front left of the Nissan Titan impacted a block wall.
"The driver then removed the two children from the passenger area of the pick-up truck and brought them to a secondary location, leaving the Nissan behind," police said.
Medical responded to that second location and transported both children to UMC Trauma. The driver reportedly fled the area before police arrived.
On March 3, police were notified by the Clark County Office of the Coroner Medical Examiner that the 19-month-old died from her injuries that night, and was pronounced deceased by UMC.
This death marks the 20th traffic-related fatality in the LVMPD’s jurisdiction in 2023, police said. This collision remains under investigation by the LVMPD Collision Investigation Section.
Anyone with information is urged by police to call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Collision Investigation Section at (702) 828-3786 or, to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555, visit www.CrimeStoppersOfNV.com or use the mobile app ‘P3.’ Message & Data rates may apply. Tips directly leading to a felony arrest or an indictment processed through Crime Stoppers may result in a cash reward.
