Two devastated families held a vigil Friday night at the site of a fatal crash in Inglewood, urging law enforcement to rethink pursuit tactics.
Asia Boatwright, a 22-year-old phlebotomist with ambitions of becoming a registered nurse, recently moved in with her 27-year-old boyfriend, Ryan Davis, before they were both killed.
“Less than a minute of a chase cost two innocent people their lives,” Aziza King, Davis’ mother, said. “My son and his girlfriend lost their life.”
Security video shows the moment when a blue pickup truck, being pursued by California Highway Patrol officers, ran a stop sign and t-boned Boatwright’s car.
“It’s unfair, but the chases do have to stop,” Tre Cotton, Davis’ uncle, said. “It’s not proving anything. Innocent lives are being lost.”
CHP arrested the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Gustavo Ruelas Jr., after a brief foot-chase caught on security video from a nearby business after the pursuit.
“His family still gets to see him,” Maria Dones, Boatwright’s grandmother, said. “We’re never gonna see ours. All they were doing was on their way home, and this happens?”
The families, united by their grief, are demanding a change.
“These chases have to stop,” King said. “Too many lives are being taken.”
And they’re leaning on one another, and their faith, as they struggle with their profound loss.
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