(L.A.) Isabella Cortes, 13, Died after Family Van Carjacked

Case Number: 2020-05982

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 13-year-old Hispanic female that occurred in a vehicle.

The coroner’s office has identified the girl as Isabella Cortes.

Manner of Death: Homicide

Cause of Death: Blunt Force Injuries

RIP ISABELLA CORTES (September 26, 2006 – July 5, 2020)

The decedent died after a violent carjacking of their family van. She and her three siblings were waiting in the van while their parents picked up food.

The incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. in Pico Rivera, California, when the family parked their van next to a restaurant located near the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Lindsey Avenue and the parents ran into the establishment to pick up food for the family, leaving the four children, ages 18, 13, 11 and 8, waiting inside the vehicle with the air conditioning running.

It was then that the suspect, 26-year-old Jose Aguilar, suddenly jumped into the vehicle and ordered all four of the kids to jump out.

Once the suspect got into the car, the 18-year-old girl fought with the suspect briefly and then she came out of the van. The doors were open, because he accelerated both doors came open on the van. She got pushed out of the van or jumped out of the van as did her 11-year-old brother.

The 18-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother both sustained minor injuries during the altercation with Aguilar.

Aguilar then took off down Whittier Avenue at a high rate of speed of up to 60 mph, with the 13-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy still in the vehicle.

The vehicle continued westbound and that is when the 8-year-old boy and the 13-year-old girl came out of the vehicle. Both of them sustained major injuries and the 13-year-old girl died at the scene.

It is unclear whether the two kids were pushed out of the vehicle or decided to jump themselves.

The 13-year-old struck a stationary object and died at the scene while her 8-year-old brother was taken to hospital with major injuries.