Juan Perez, 40

Juan Perez, 40, a Latino man, died from multiple traumatic injuries inflicted by a vehicle near the intersection of Gale and Riderwood avenues in Hacienda Heights. His time of death was listed as 6:41 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Perez was a working man who stopped at a store to buy something and left his truck, loaded with pallets, parked with the engine running. A car thief jumped in the truck, and started to drive off. Perez saw him, and jumped on the truck, apparently desperate to stop it from being stolen. The suspect sped away; Perez clung to the side of the truck for about half a mile, then fell off, and was run over by the rear wheels. Perez's wife is quoted by the newspaper saying her husband may have feared the loss of his truck would cost him his job.

It is rare for a vehicular case of any kind to be classified as a homicide by the coroner's office, which categorizes homicides differently than law enforcement. Particular circumstances indicating a homicidal bent by another person usually need to be present for such cases to qualify. This one met them.

San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Comments

[Rick]

This was a tragedy and I have sorrow for his family who is suffering but, he made a very sad mistake in leaving the vehicle parked running while he went inside a store. Criminals pounce when they see people making mistakes. It is still sad that this happened to him.

[M.Lopez]

Wow....what a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to the wife and 3 daughters of Mr. Perez, one can only imagine what they are going through in this time of sorrow. He just happend to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, Hacienda Heights is a very upscale neighbrhood he must of thought it would be ok to leave the engine running, it ended up costing him his life. I have 2 daughters ages 9 & 13 just like his, when I get home from work those lil girls smiles just brighten up my whole day. Somebody out there took the life of a LOVING & HARD WORKING FATHER! RIP....