Los Angeles police are asking for the public’s help to find a driver who severely injured a bicyclist in an early morning hit-and-run on Venice Boulevard in Pico Union.
The city of Los Angeles announced a $25,000 reward on Tuesday for information in the case but business owners in the area say detectives have not approached them about the hit-and-run that happened on June 21 around 2:25 a.m.
“Tell the police if they need footage from the street, that they can see it,” Jorge Avila said on Tuesday at his upholstery shop across the street from where the bicyclist was hit. He pointed to several surveillance cameras on his property pointing toward the street.
A man living in a homeless encampment across the street from the business said he was the person hit by the driver and showed a large scar on his leg. He said his tibia was broken when the car hit him, and he believes the driver went out of their way to hit him.
“He was gunning for me,” the 37-year-old man, Jonathan, told The LA Local on Tuesday. He declined to provide his last name for privacy concerns.
Police officers spoke to him the morning of the crash, but Jonathan said they have not followed up with him. Police would not confirm that he was the man hit in the collision.
Instead, the Los Angeles Police Department referred The LA Local to a news release about the investigation and asked anyone with information about the case to contact the detective assigned to the case. The detective did not respond to requests for comment.
There are few details regarding the hit-and-run in the news advisory.
Police say a driver in a dark, gray colored car was heading west on Venice Boulevard when they veered over into the eastbound lane and hit a man sitting on a bicycle east of Burlington Avenue. The driver did not stop and paramedics called to the scene took the bicyclist to the hospital.
The public are encouraged to contact the LAPD’s Central Traffic Division if they have any information about the case at (213) 833-3713. Tips can be left with 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247) during non-business hours and weekends.
Anonymous tips can be left with the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.
