A man accused of striking a bicyclist in the southeast Los Angeles area and dragging his body for nearly a mile was charged with murder and hit-and-run driving resulting in death or serious injury, prosecutors said Friday.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Felipe Avalos, 66, pleaded not guilty to both counts during his arraignment Thursday. He is due back in a Compton courtroom Nov. 9, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.
Avalos is accused of hitting 65-year-old Francisco Gonzalez around 9 a.m. Tuesday while driving a van southbound on Broadway near 115th Street. Police said Gonzalez became lodged onto the undercarriage of the van, which police say then continued southbound, turning down several city streets for approximately one mile until he became dislodged at Broadway and El Segundo Boulevard.
Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Avalos was arrested later Tuesday in Compton. He remains jailed without bail, according to jail records.
There were some initial reports that Gonzalez might have been intentionally struck, but police could not confirm that.
“South Traffic Division detectives located surveillance video that captured the collision and images of the suspect’s vehicle, later identified as an older model Chevy Astro van,” police said in a statement.
“While interviewing witnesses, detectives obtained a possible license plate of the suspect’s vehicle,” police said. “Detectives conducted a series of follow-ups and located the suspect’s van parked in the driveway of a residence in the city of Compton.
“While monitoring the suspect’s van, an older male Hispanic matching the description of the suspect, exited the residence and entered the van,” police said. “South Traffic Division detectives took the suspect into custody without incident.”