Murder Suspect in LA Teen Cyclist Death Caught in El Salvador After Nearly Two Years

Jonathan Rodriguez, 33, accused of running down 16-year-old Jonathan "Junior" Flores in a road-rage incident near BMO Stadium, was arrested at LAX on Aug. 27.

LA Road-Rage Fugitive Extradited After Hiding Under Dual Citizenship in El Salvador

A suspect wanted for the hit-and-run killing of a 16-year-old bicyclist in Los Angeles was taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 27, nearly two years after fleeing the country, NY Post Metro reports.

Jonathan Rodriguez, 33, of Los Angeles, was arrested without incident after boarding a flight from El Salvador. Authorities had tracked him there following a months-long international manhunt.

Rodriguez is charged with the murder of Jonathan "Junior" Flores, killed on Nov. 22, 2024, during a confrontation involving a large group of cyclists on Figueroa Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and BMO Stadium.

A chaotic afternoon turns deadly

Around 4:30 p.m. that day, a group of roughly 40 cyclists became involved in an altercation with the driver of a blue BMW, according to the California Highway Patrol. What initially triggered the confrontation remains unclear.

The situation escalated when cyclists rode through an opening in a fence into a nearby parking lot. A driver in a black Honda allegedly followed Flores into the lot and struck him with the vehicle before speeding away. Flores died at the scene.

Investigators identified Rodriguez as the suspected driver within a day. Detectives subsequently served a search warrant at a Los Angeles residence linked to him, seizing a blue 2021 BMW sedan and a black 2018 Honda Accord — the two vehicles believed to have been used in the incident.

Flight through Mexico to El Salvador

By the time the $2 million arrest warrant was issued, Rodriguez had already fled to Mexico. Investigators later determined he had traveled onward to El Salvador, where he used his dual citizenship to remain in the country.

The breakthrough came when Rodriguez's attorney contacted the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to negotiate his client's surrender. The California Highway Patrol then coordinated with the US Marshals Service and Salvadoran authorities to arrange his return.

Rodriguez boarded a flight from El Salvador on Aug. 27 and was arrested upon landing at LAX. He was booked into jail the same day.

"This murder suspect was taken into custody thanks to the unrelenting commitment of our detectives and the cooperation of the United States Marshals Service and the El Salvadorian government," CHP Chief Chris Margaris told KTLA. "For the past two years, our detectives refused to give up their pursuit of justice to apprehend the person responsible for this senseless act of violence."

A teenager remembered

Flores' death left his family and community devastated. His aunt described him in a GoFundMe campaign as a "smart, loving, quiet, silly boy" who "left a positive impact on so many people."

Friends told CBS News that Flores was not involved in the initial confrontation with the BMW driver and that another cyclist may have struck the car's side mirror before the fatal pursuit began. CHP Sgt. Dan Kene said in the aftermath that the crash was "100% preventable."

Source: NY Post Metro