The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of a man suspected of drunkenly crashing his vehicle into a North Long Beach home, killing a father and his 3-year-old daughter.
Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to raise the amount from $10,000 to $20,000 at the request of Supervisor Janice Hahn.
The crash happened around 10 p.m. on March 1, 2022, when a 2014 Dodge Ram slammed into an apartment building near Artesia Boulevard and Rose Avenue. Authorities say 42-year-old Jose Palacios-Gonzalez was killed instantly. His daughter, Samantha, was taken to the hospital but died from her injuries.
Investigators with the Long Beach Police Department later identified the suspected driver as Octavio Montano Islas, who was 24 at the time. Police believe he had been drinking before the crash. He allegedly ran away from the scene, leaving behind his truck.
“Today Samantha would have been seven years old, possibly starting 2nd grade in a few weeks, had Octavio Montano Islas not brutally cut her life short,” Hahn said in a public statement. “Nothing will fill the gap left by the deaths of Samantha and her dad Jose, but we need to find this driver and hold him accountable. Their families deserve justice. If you know where Octavio is or where he might have gone, please share that information with detectives.”
Islas is wanted on charges of two counts of felony manslaughter, one count of felony DUI, and one count of felony hit-and-run.
Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Scott Jenson at 562-570-7218.
