A 59-year-old man suspected in a fatal 2024 hit-and-run crash in Long Beach in December 2024 has been taken into custody, authorities announced Thursday.
Mario Jesus Escobar Acosta of Woodland was arrested Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service in Sacramento and later booked at the Long Beach City Jail on suspicion of hit-and-run resulting in a fatal injury, with a bail set at $50,000, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Officers responded to a traffic collision at 4:45 p.m. Dec. 26, 2024, at California Avenue and San Antonio Drive, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Responding officers located a female driver whose vehicle had been struck by a hit-and-run driver, police said. The woman declined medical treatment upon their arrival, but later took herself to a hospital for treatment. The victim, identified as 78-year-old Nikki Rash, died of her injuries on Jan. 4, 2025, at the hospital.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a tan Toyota Avalon was being driven eastbound on San Antonio Drive, and the driver ran a red light at California Avenue, striking Rash’s vehicle.
“The driver briefly got out of his car, then got back in and fled the scene,” the police department said in a statement.
Detectives were investigating distracted driving as a possible factor leading to the fatal collision.
Anyone with information regarding the crash was urged to contact LAPD Collision Investigation Detail Detective Ashley Van Holland at 562-570-7355. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.