Cudahy: Roshdi Abuawad, 27

Roshdi Abuawad, a 27-year-old man identified by coroner's officials as Middle Eastern, died Sunday, Dec. 13, after he was hit by a car and dragged to Atlantic Avenue and Lake Avenue in Cudahy, authorities said.

Abuawad was leaving a Starbucks in Bell on Sunday when he was dragged and killed by a motorist who had just used his car to try to ram another group of people, investigators said.

Miguel Penayo, 32, was arrested at the scene on Atlantic Avenue after the chaotic 9:40 a.m. incident, which began with a traffic collision, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff"s Department. Streets in the area were closed for several hours as police searched for the driver and then investigated the crash.

After the traffic accident, Penayo and a group of men apparently from the other vehicle ended up on opposite sides of the street. The group began approaching Penayo in a threatening manner, deputies said, with one man carrying a metal rod.

Penayo drove his car directly at the group, striking one of the men. His car continued across Atlantic Avenue and into a driveway at a Starbucks near Florence Avenue, where his vehicle hit Abuawad.

Abuawad had been dragged under Penayo's vehicle for over a mile and was pronounced dead at the scene, the department said. The other victim hit by Penayo received minor injuries and was treated by fire rescuers at the scene.

-- Rich Connell

Follow The Homicide Report on Twitter @latimeshomicide.

Map: The location Roshdi Abuawad was dragged to. Credit: Google Maps