A husband and wife were behind bars Thursday in connection with a hit-and-run crash on the Pomona (60) Freeway near Industry that killed an 11-year-old girl.
Priscilla Marie Cornejo, 39, and her husband, Johnathon David Cornejo, 33, were arrested Monday morning at their Arcadia home, according to the California Highway Patrol. Both were being held in lieu of $2 million bail, according to jail records.
According to the CHP, shortly after 4 a.m. March 22, Priscilla Cornejo was driving a black Hyundai Sonata westbound on the 60 Freeway, east of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway. Her husband, 33-year-old Johnathon David Cornejo, was following the Hyundai in a black Ford Taurus, CHP officials said.
According to CHP, Priscilla crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer, causing her car to spin and come to a stop facing eastbound in the westbound lanes. She immediately drove off after the collision, driving eastbound in the westbound lanes without headlights on, the CHP reported.
At the same time, Johnathon made a U-turn on the freeway, following his wife, also driving in the wrong direction, according to the CHP.
At 4:08 a.m., Priscilla collided head-on with a gray Toyota Corolla on the westbound freeway east of Crossroads Parkway, killing an 11-year-old passenger in the car, later identified as Angelique Zarate. The girl’s father, 50-year-old Rafael Zarate of Moreno Valley, suffered significant injures, according to the CHP.
Priscilla abandoned her car after the collision and got into the Ford driven by her husband, who then fled west on the freeway, according to the CHP.
It was unclear what led investigators to identify the couple. Both were charged Wednesday with murder, but their arraignment was delayed until April 18, according to court records.
A GoFundMe page established to cover Angelique’s funeral expenses had raised more than $31,000 as of Thursday.