(L.A.) Maria Valdivia, 74, Died in a Hospital

Case Number: 2023-06071

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 74-year-old Hispanic female that occurred in a hospital.

The coroner’s office has identified the woman as Maria Valdivia.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Blunt Head Injury

RIP MARIA ESTHER VALDIVIA (November 12, 1948 – May 24, 2023)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Wednesday at 1:15 p.m.

The decedent was hit by a car on May 22, at around 1 p.m., at the intersection of Scott Avenue and Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park while she was crossing within a marked crosswalk. She died in the hospital two days later.

The driver of the 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 that struck her stopped to render aid, cooperated with the investigation, and did not display any impairment. No arrests were made.

Valdivia was the co-owner of the “Tacos Delta” restaurant in Silver Lake. She co-founded the longstanding spot in 1981 with her husband and mother-in-law. The fatal accident happened just two miles from the restaurant.

Mainstream news outlets had misspelled her surname as Valdiva and referred to her restaurant as “Taco Delta.”

She is survived by her husband Sergio, four children, 14 grandchildren and a great-grandson.