LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Police and family members pleaded with the Las Vegas public on Thursday to help them locate a driver who hit and killed two young men in the east valley last week.
Voice heavy with emotion, Sgt. Richard Rundell of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Traffic Bureau identified the two young men who lost their lives in the early morning hours of July 5.
Ethan Velasquez, 19, and Julian Torres, 18, were both raised in Las Vegas and graduated from Las Vegas High School, he said.
Rundell also identified their suspected killer as 20-year-old Luis Angel Equihua-Murillo, who is still at large as of this report.
Investigators were able to place Equihua-Murillo behind the wheel of a white GMC Sierra pickup truck that ran a red light at the intersection of Hollywood and Charleston boulevards just before 2:42 a.m. July 5, Rundell said.
The truck slammed into a Honda CRV carrying Velasquez and Torres, who were traveling southbound on Charleston on a green light.
After the crash, police say Equihua-Murillo left the truck and ran away on foot. His family members are cooperating with the investigation, Rundell said, but say they haven't had any contact with him.
"We believe he's still here in town," Rundell said. "My guess is he's scared; he doesn't know what's going to happen. It's his fear of not wanting to come forward that is keeping him on the run."
Equihua-Murillo is wanted on two counts of duty to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death and two counts of reckless driving resulting in death, Rundell said.
Velasquez's mother gave an emotional plea for help from the community on behalf of her son and the family of Julian Torres.
The 19-year-old was preparing to start his second year of college at the University of Nevada-Reno, and Torres had just graduated high school and was getting ready to attend UNR, as well, she said.
"Ethan and Julian were not just students, they were cherished sons and loyal friends to many," she said. "We had plans to take a trip together before Ethan returned to college — a chance to create more memories and spend previous time together. Instead of planning that trip, I find myself planning his funeral."
"Ethan and Julian's lives were precious and they brought so much joy to their family and friends," she continued. "Ethan and Julian deserve justice, and our families need closure to begin healing from this tragedy."
Anyone with information that could help police locate Equihua-Murillo is asked to contact LVMPD's Traffic Bureau at 702-828-3595. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or online at crimestoppersofnv.com.
