A 16-year-old boy has been taken into custody after he ran over over a man twice during a low-value theft at a discount store.
Teenager fatally ran over victim
Authorities say the deadly sequence of events began on April 9 at the Giant Discount in South El Monte, California.
Kourosh “Steve” Yaghoubi, 60, was assisting his brother at the store when a the teenage customer allegedly requested a $10 box of masks, then exited without paying.
Yaghoubi ran after the shoplifting suspect, leading to a confrontation in the parking lot that would end up turning fatal.
According to Jim Yaghoubi, the victim’s brother, more men soon emerged from the suspect vehicle.
“Doors open, two other guys exit the car, and one of them punches my brother in the head, he holds his head, and he goes down,” Jim told local media.
Witnesses say the three suspects reentered the vehicle after the assault and drove over Yaghoubi’s body twice, once while backing out and again while speeding forward.
“The body under the car was turning, all the way from the front tire to the back tire,” Jim recalled. He also shared, “I was there at the last minute of his life. I saw his face. I saw his eyes.”
Emergency responders declared Yaghoubi dead at the scene. As of Friday, deputies arrested a teenage suspect believed to have been the getaway driver.
Law enforcement officials are continuing their efforts to identify additional suspects believed to have been inside the suspect vehicle at the time of the attack.
Prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office are now reviewing the case to determine whether formal charges will be filed.
Estranged wife ran over husband’s new beau
In a separate case across the country, a 41-year-old Florida woman has been arrested in connection to an alleged vehicular assault on a woman she saw with her estranged husband.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that Christdon Reese was taken into custody on Friday and now faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, trespassing, and violating probation.
On April 10, the victim and her boyfriend walked to a Circle K gas station in Auburndale, Florida, where they bought several items.
As they crossed Old Dixie Highway on their way to a friend’s residence, the boyfriend spotted Reese driving past in a white Volkswagen Jetta.
Authorities believe that upon seeing her spouse with another woman, Reese made a U-turn using a nearby Family Dollar parking lot. She then allegedly accelerated toward the couple.
“Reese then used the parking lot of the nearby Family Dollar store to make a U-turn and head north, accelerating quickly in their direction,” the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators say the female victim attempted to flee down a driveway, but Reese allegedly followed and struck her with the car.
Reese then turned around and fled at high speed, heading north on Old Dixie Highway. Surveillance video from the Circle K reportedly recorded the entire sequence, showing Reese making the U-turn and heading back toward the pair.
When authorities arrived, they found the injured woman and had her transported to a hospital. Doctors later confirmed that the woman suffered two spinal fractures but is expected to recover fully.
Sheriff speaks out after hit-and-run
Sheriff Grady Judd remarked on the seriousness of the incident, stating, “Domestic related calls are some of the worst calls to which we respond. When people allow their emotions to take over it can result in injury or even death.”
“This victim was injured but luckily she survived the ordeal,” he added. “Christdon Reese needs to learn how to control her temper, and maybe some cooling off in the jail will help.”
Investigators added that Reese was already on probation at the time, stemming from a prior retail theft case from 2023 in Osceola County. That status has now resulted in an additional charge for violating probation.
During the inquiry, the property owner of the driveway where the incident occurred reportedly informed deputies that Reese was never granted access to the area, leading to the trespassing charge.
Reese remains in custody at Central County Jail, where she is being held without bond, according to jail records.
