Reward to catch driver in hit-and-run crash that killed sleeping man, daughter in Long Beach increased to $25,000
The effort to catch a hit-and-run driver who police say killed a Long Beach man and his young daughter as they slept inside their apartment is ramping up.
The City of Long Beach has added $15,000 to the $10,000 reward approved by Los Angeles County's Board of Supervisors for information leading to the capture and/or conviction of Octavio Montano Islas, bringing the total reward to $25,000.
Islas was identified by police as the driver of the truck that smashed into an apartment in the area of Artesia Boulevard and Rose Avenue at about 10 p.m. on March 1, killing 42-year-old Jose Palacios Gonzales and his 3-year-old daughter, Samantha Palacios, who were sleeping inside. The driver ran off, leaving a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup truck inside the building.
"The deaths of Jose and Samantha have had a devastating, lasting impact on our community," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement."
Police identified 24-year-old Islas as the suspect in the crash. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has issued an arrest warrant for Islas.
Islas is described as a 5-foot-8, 160-pound Hispanic man with black hair and tattoos on his right forearm.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts or the crash can contact Detective Kevin Johansen at (562) 570-7355.
