Long Beach bar being investigated after driver left bar, crashed into apartment killing two
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is launching an investigation into Bottoms Up Sports Bar in Long Beach following a hit-and-run crash that claimed the lives of a father and his 3-year-old daughter.
Long Beach city firefighters responded to the 6600 block of Rose Avenue, located near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Cherry Ave. around 10 p.m. Tuesday regarding a hit-and-run traffic collision with at least 2 victims. Long Beach police say a man in his 20's was driving too fast, lost control and slammed into the apartment building. The victims were identified as 42-year-old Jose Palacios Gonzalez and his daughter, Samantha.
Following the crash, the hit-and-run driver fled. The driver was allegedly at the sports bar before the crash, and now there's an investigation into the sports bar.
Neighbors living near Bottoms Up said the bar has been a problem.
"They're overserving their clients all the time at 3 and 4 in the morning at the bar when the bar should be closed at 2 a.m. They're partying until like 6 in the morning and I've seen them. I wish they could shut them down because this is not a good place," said Paloma, a resident.
Paloma lives in the same apartment complex where the crash happened, and was home at the time.
"It felt like an earthquake. I live upstairs. I'm one of the victims. We're going through PTSD right now. It's not fair. Every time my daughters hear the trucks when they're doing donuts or going fast, they jump now, and they're scared," said Paloma.
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Paloma said her car has been hit before by patrons leaving the bar.
"They [patrons] crashed my car already two times and now this. I'd rather prefer that night they crashed one of the cars instead of running into a home, and he's [suspect] hiding. What is he hiding for? Sooner or later, he's gonna be found," said Paloma.
Vicente, who also lives in the neighborhood, said the bar has had problems in the past too.
"I am afraid that an accident or something will happen there [at the bar] because I've seen other times when people died there," he said.
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Bottoms Up Sports Bar declined an interview Saturday and did not provide a statement either.
Neighbors are hoping the suspect will turn himself in.
"You killed two people. You're still breathing. You're still eating. You need to turn yourself in," said Paloma.
ABC told FOX 11 its department has opened its own investigation and an agent has been assigned to gather facts.
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