Pacoima Wash, where teen Elias Rodriguez was tragically washed away, will get a pedestrian bridge

A pedestrian bridge will be built at the Pacoima Wash, where a 14-year-old boy was washed away on his way to his grandmother's home.

The planned bridge, which will connect existing pathways and revitalize the Pacoima Wash Natural Park, will be built with $7.5 million in funding secured by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas. Officials are embarking on the project in honor of Elias Rodriguez, who died after being caught in a major storm in 2017.

The teen had left a voicemail for his mother, saying he was walking to his grandmother's house from Cesar Chavez Academies. His body was found in the Los Angeles River, more than 20 miles away in Los Feliz about a week later.

"What happened to my brother five-and-a-half years ago was such a tragedy and I hope that this will make sure nothing like that will ever happen again," Elias' sister, Destiny, said at a Thursday news conference.

The pedestrian bridge and bike path will ultimately link Pacoima and the city of San Fernando, and Rivas says she hopes it will be a catalyst that turns the Pacoima Wash into a recreational area.

"This state funding, $7.5 million, will help our community begin to heal from this tragedy by safeguarding and connecting these two communities that typically suffer from lack of investment," Rivas said.