Four people have been arrested in connection with a 2020 Christmas Day street-racing crash that killed a man in Carson, officials announced Wednesday.
Video of the Dec. 25 illegal street race in the 900 block of East 230th Street helped lead authorities to the arrests of two drivers, the event’s organizer and a man whose 14-year-old son was injured in the crash.
The video shows two cars speeding down a street lined with spectators before crashing into each other and then careening into the crowd.
Daniel Patten II of Long Beach, 66, was killed in the crash. Several others were injured and had to be hospitalized.
Daniel Patten’s family was left sitting around a dinner table that Christmas Day wondering why he hadn’t come home, the Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.
Patten’s brother, Russ Patten, was at a news conference Wednesday where Sheriff’s Department officials announced the arrests in the case.
Russ Patten described his brother as a photographer and videographer who loved to cover car shows and surf competitions.
“He’s just a fun-loving guy … he made friends wherever he went,” Russ Patten said.
Following the crash, investigators say both drivers got out of their cars and fled the area.
Tony Tatum, 36, and Henry Hurtado, 33, were identified Wednesday by the Sheriff’s Department as the two drivers. Officials said Tatum and Hurtado are facing murder charges.
The race organizer was also booked for felony conspiracy and a man in attendance is facing charges of child neglect after his 14-year-old son was injured in the crash, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
