LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – A family is devastated after a sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department was arrested in Orange County, accused of killing a 19-year-old man in an alcohol-related hit-and-run over the weekend.
In a news release, officials with the Tustin Police Department said officers, as well as personnel with the Orange County Fire Authority responded to Nisson Road and Del Amo Avenue just before 4 a.m. Feb. 1 on reports of a person down in the roadway.
First responders located the victim, now identified as Santa Ana resident Imanol “Manny” Gonzalez, suffering from major trauma.
OCFA paramedics declared the 19-year-old deceased at the scene.
Vehicle debris in the roadway near the victim indicated that a likely hit-and-run had occurred.
“During the investigation, a black 2021 Chevrolet Silverado crew cab pickup truck was identified as the suspect vehicle,” Tustin PD said. “The registered owner of the vehicle, later identified as 40-year-old Carlos Coronel of Buena Park, was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail.”
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, the 40-year-old sergeant was arrested just hours after the fatal collision with the 19-year-old, when he showed up for duty at LAPD’s Newton Division.
Coronel, who joined the force in 2008, has a previous arrest for DUI in 2011, KTLA’s Chip Yost reported. In that instance, he was arrested by California Highway Patrol in Buena Park and was later put on probation.
While the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has yet to formally file charges in the alleged Feb. 1 deadly hit-and-run, Coronel did appear in court Tuesday for a probation violation stemming from the 2011 DUI arrest.
Meanwhile, family members of the victim are still reeling from the unimaginable loss.
“He was everything to me. He was my world,” the 19-year-old’s stepfather told KTLA. “He was a very lovable kid, very respectful. He never gave us problems. He was the sweetest boy in the world.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been organized to help Gonzalez’s family with the cost of laying him to rest.
In a statement to KTLA about the tragic incident, LAPD officials said:
“The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and accountability. We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind, and any violations of department policies or the public trust are taken seriously. All allegations of officer misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action is taken to ensure accountability. Our commitment is to serve and protect the community with fairness, respect, and transparency.”
As for Coronel’s appearance in court today, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for failing to pay fines and do community service in connection with the 2011 DUI case, though the judge gave him credit for some time already served.
He is expected to remain in custody for at least the next several days during which time the OCDA’s office could potentially file charges against him for the recent fatal DUI and hit-and-run allegations.
