A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and assault following a crash that killed a toddler who was sitting on a porch in front of a Long Beach apartment complex.
A woman and a second girl were also struck and injured in the crash, which happened about 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 2, in the 400 block of Maine Avenue when the driver of an SUV, Lamont Russell, allegedly reversed into the group, authorities said.
The toddler was identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as 1-year-old Myrah Hunter.
Police said the driver was backing up the SUV, possibly trying to turn around, when the vehicle jumped the curb. He remained at the scene.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s inmate records, Russell was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and assault and was being held in lieu of $335,000 bail in downtown Los Angeles.
It was not immediately clear why Russell is suspected of assault.