Authorities on Wednesday, March 31 announced the arrests of the two drivers allegedly involved in an illegal street race in Carson on Christmas day that left a bystander dead and several other people injured.
The crash occurred in the 900 block of East 230th Street at about 1:45 p.m. and took the life of 66-year-old Daniel Patten II of Long Beach, who was among a crowd of spectators, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Following the crash, the drivers got out of their cars and fled the area, according to the sheriff’s department.
At a news conference Wednesday at the sheriff’s Carson Station attended by the victim’s brother, authorities announced the arrests of Tony Tatum, 36, and Henry Hurtado, 33.
Both remained jailed in lieu of $2 million bail, jail records show.
Tatum is charged with one count each of murder and conspiracy to commit a crime, while Hurtado is charged with one count of murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Tatum and Hurtado have pleaded not guilty and are set to appear in a Compton courtroom Thursday, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to require them to stand trial.
Two other people also were arrested, including the alleged organizer of the race, whose 14-year-old son was injured in the crash. He was booked on suspicion of conspiracy and child neglect. Sheriff’s officials did not immediately release his name or that of the other person who was arrested.
Video posted to social media showed two cars racing on a narrow street and crashing into each other near a crowd of people. The video footage helped authorities identify the drivers, according to the sheriff’s department.
“My message is … when you come to Carson, know that our Carson Sheriff’s Station is gonna take you down,” Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said at the news conference.
Russ Patten told KTLA5 his brother was a photographer/videographer who often covered car shows and surf competitions and made friends wherever he went.
“He loved cars, he loved the beach, and anywhere there was a car show or a surf competition, he was there to cover it,” he said. “And I’m just hoping that justice prevails and they do some time.”
