14-year-old on bicycle severely injured by hit-and-run driver near South Los Angeles in May
Authorities are still searching for the hit-and-run driver who hit a teenager riding a bicycle near downtown Los Angeles back in May, leaving them with severe and lingering injuries.
Julio Flores, 14, says that every day are now a struggle for him, and he even needs help climbing up a couple of steps after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver behind the wheel of a stolen car back on May 16.
"I spend most of my day in bed," Flores said while speaking with KCAL News.
Flores suffered a number of injuries in the crash, and is still on the mend with broken bones and severe road rash.
Los Angeles Police Department officers say that the car, a Kia sedan, was taken by four suspects from downtown Los Angeles the same day, and was fleeing from the area when it fishtailed into oncoming traffic and hit Julio.
He flew off of his bike and landed on a curb some distance away, without anyone inside of the vehicle getting out to help.
"At least call the paramedics or something. They just left me on the floor."
After the crash, the suspects, all believed to be in their late-teens or early-20s, can be seen bailing from the car on foot and running from the area via surveillance footage in the 3200 block of 32nd Street.
One of the suspects, the driver of the stolen car, can be seen wearing a black sweatshirt with a black-and-white backpack.
The other three suspects are also seen running, one wearing a grey sweatshirt, one with shoulder-length hair and a white t-shirt and the fourth with all black clothing and white tennis shoes.
As Julio continues to recover, he's put a lot of plans on hold, including trying out for the high school soccer team this coming fall.
"It's sad, cause sometimes I want to go back to normal," he said. "I don't like it like this."
The Flores family has also had to adapt to a new lifestyle, moving Julio into the kitchen because it's the only area in the home that's large to accommodate his recovery, leaving them to cook their meals in the backyard.
"Do the right thing," Julio said. "Just turn yourself in."
The family has set up a GoFundMe to assist with the medical expenses they've been left with due to the crash. The fundraiser can be found by searching for the keywords: "Donate to help cover Julio's recovery costs."
Authorities are also looking for another suspect in the case, who can be seen jumping into the stolen car that was abandoned on the street. That suspect is believed to be a man between 35 and 40 years old with a black-and-white hooded sweatshirt and red sneakers.
The car has since been impounded by LAPD.
The City of Los Angeles is offering a $25,000 reward for any information in the case due to the
