A woman struck in a Long Beach hit-and-run collision has died, police say
A woman who was struck by a hit-and-run driver at a Long Beach intersection this month died Saturday, police say.
Maria Mendoza, 59, of Compton died from injuries she suffered in the Sept. 10 collision, which occurred at the corner of Willow Street and Long Beach Boulevard, the Long Beach Police Department said in a statement Sunday.
Edward Peterson, 83, was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, police said.
Reached by phone Sunday, Peterson told a reporter, “I don’t have anything to say about that, thank you anyway,” before hanging up.
Video from surveillance cameras appeared to show a beige Toyota Rav4 traveling west on Willow Street and then striking Mendoza as she crossed Long Beach Boulevard, police said. The video also appeared to show that the SUV did not stop for the red light at the intersection, they said.
On Thursday, detectives arrested Peterson at his home in Long Beach, where authorities also found the beige SUV, which they say was registered to him. Peterson was booked into Long Beach jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, police said.
His bail was set at $50,000. County jail records show that he was released from jail about 12 hours after being booked.
Sgt. Brad Johnson, a spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department, said he could not immediately provide additional details about the investigation.
Twitter: @ByMattStevens
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