Escondido police said two men died when a 13-year-old girl took her mother’s car and crashed after attempting to flee, reports NBC 7’s Melissa Adan.
Warning: Content in this article may be graphic.
New home-security video shows the deadly crash in Escondido that police said was caused by a 13-year-old over the weekend.
The shocking accident late Friday night on Ash Street and Mission Avenue claimed the lives of two men, according to the Escondido Police Department.
Officers told NBC 7 a 13-year-old girl was behind the wheel when she crashed a white SUV on the side of the road near a San Diego Gas & Electric transfer facility.
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"I feel very sad for that to have happened, especially because these [people were] homeless, they are not bad people," said Florinda Jimenez.
The Escondido Police Department and the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims as Mateo Salvador, 33, and Sofio Sotelo Torres, 51. Police have not been able to locate any family members of the victims.
Jimenez volunteers to help the homeless community in San Diego and on Monday she told NBC 7 the two men sleeping in the bushes were migrant workers from Mexico and Guatemala.
"They were nice people, and they were homeless because they tried to save money to send to Mexico -- especially right now, rent is so expensive," said Jimenez.
Escondido police said an officer had first tried to stop the SUV spotted on Mission Avenue and Gamble Street for a traffic violation, but the car reportedly sped away and ultimately crashed. That's when officers learned a 13-year-old girl from Vista was behind the wheel.
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Police said the girl had taken her mom's car without her knowing and that her friend was a passenger in the car.
Jimenez said she's saddened because she felt the crash could have been prevented. She said she's also motivated to help those in need of a home and offer them a blanket, food or resources on how they can seek shelter.
"A lot of people, they're walking around and they don't care for people, and, yeah, you need to care," Jimenez told NBC 7.
Police investigators are working with the juvenile branch of the District Attorney's office on all potential criminal charges.
Anyone with information regarding crash is encouraged to contact Officer Adan Martinez at 760-839-4465 or the “Anonymous Tip Line” at (760) 743-TIPS (8477).
