Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday night to remember a 14-year-old who was killed by a reckless driver.
A memorial of flowers and teddy bears marks the spot where Ivan Cruz was struck by a vehicle involved in a sheriff's deputy pursuit in unincorporated Alameda County on Tuesday evening.
Ivan, a freshman at San Lorenzo High School who was riding a scooter halfway through the crosswalk, was hit by a suspect vehicle being chased by a deputy about 6:20 p.m. E. 14th Street and Ashland Avenue, near San Lorenzo, authorities said. The California Highway Patrol, which is investigating the teen's death, said the car of interest in this case a maroon 2001 Saturn, has been found, but the driver is still at large.
"Nobody can replace Ivan," said family friend Priscilla Vasquez Everett said. "God has taken an angel."
Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. JD Nelson said that a deputy attempted to make a traffic stop when he saw the sedan driving recklessly. The suspect vehicle then struck the boy, authorities and witnesses say, and kept on driving. The two deputies involved in the chase were sent home early, but were not placed on administrative leave, as was previously reported.
Nelson said one deputy called off the pursuit of the suspect vehicle, but added it's not clear whether it was called off before the boy was hit, or afterward. Nelson added that the deputy didn't know a boy had even been hit at first.
Witnesses said they saw the teen fly through the air and land at a bus stop, where he was later pronounced dead.
"A car came right when the boy was hit, he flew in the air and landed near the bus stop," witness Mercedes Chavez said.
"He was against the bus stop pole, crouched in a fetal position and not responsive," added witness Peter St. Angelo.
Omar Luna, a father of five, lives nearby and came out on Wednesday morning to look at the scene again. He and his wife witnessed the tragedy the evening before. He saw a woman yelling for help. He saw the boy's scooter. He said his wife stood in the middle of the road to alert law enforcement that a boy was in the middle of the road.
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"I came back out to say a prayer for him," Luna told NBC Bay Area. "My condolences go out to his family."
Meanwhile, family is asking for the driver to surrender to authorities.
"Just whoever did this please come forward and turn yourself in," cousin Isabel Cabrera said.
NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd contributed to this report.
