Community mourns teen cyclist killed in apparent road rage incident at BMO Stadium

LOS ANGELES - A South LA community is grieving after the tragic death of a 16-year-old bicyclist, who was mowed down in an apparent road rage incident Friday evening outside BMO Stadium. 

Pastor Mariela Madriz, whose own teenage son frequently bikes with friends in the area, described the tragedy as "heartbreaking and horrific." She spoke to FOX 11 at her nearby church, Iglesia Jesucristo Fuente De Vida.

"As a mom, all I could think is — it could have been my son," Madriz said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 16-year-old killed in hit-and-run crash while riding bike outside LA's BMO Stadium

Police say the incident began with an altercation between a group of teenage cyclists and the driver of a sedan. Witnesses reported that one of the teens broke the car’s side mirror before fleeing into the stadium’s parking lot. The driver allegedly pursued the group, hitting and killing the 16-year-old victim, who was not believed to have been involved in the initial dispute.

"If you can get so angry over a broken mirror to your car to kill a child, you don’t deserve to be out and free," Madriz said. "You deserve to be locked up for the rest of your life."

Madriz, who does not personally know the victim’s family, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the community.

"We should be able to be out and have fun without worrying that someone’s going to kill our kid over a mirror on a car," she said. "If it were my kid, I would want someone to say something. I would want the community to back me up."

Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo echoed Madriz’s sentiments, calling the incident a "horrible tragedy" just days before Thanksgiving.

"This is the type of case that can be solved quickly with the public’s help," Castillo said. "If you see a vehicle with a damaged side-view mirror and front-end collision damage, report it to authorities immediately. More than likely, that’s going to be our suspect." 

He also urged anyone working in auto repair and car insurance to be on the lookout for anyone filing a claim for a car matching the description. 

Madriz said the tragedy has made her more vigilant about her own son’s safety. She hopes the community will rally behind the victim’s family and demand justice for a young life cut short.

Anyone with information about the vehicle or the driver was urged to contact the CHP's Major Crimes Unit at tel:3236449550 during normal business hours, or the Los Angeles Communication Center at tel:3232593200 after hours. Tips can also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers: https://www.lacrimestoppers.org