Fugitive accused of killing LA teen cyclist captured after El Salvador hideout
Jonathan Rodriguez, 33, was arrested at LAX after authorities tracked him to El Salvador, where he had been evading capture for nearly two years.
Authorities say Rodriguez, a Los Angeles resident, was the driver who hit 16-year-old Jonathan “Junior” Flores in a hit-and-run after a large group of cyclists clashed with a blue BMW near BMO Stadium in November 2024. Following the incident, he fled to Mexico and later to El Salvador, exploiting his dual citizenship to avoid arrest. A $2 million warrant was issued, and investigators seized two vehicles linked to the case.
Rodriguez’s lawyer contacted the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to negotiate his surrender, prompting cooperation between the California Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service and Salvadoran authorities. He boarded a flight from El Salvador on Aug. 27 and was taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport the next day, where he was booked into jail.
Why it matters
The arrest ends a two-year international hunt for the suspect in a teen's fatal hit-and-run, highlighting cross-border law-enforcement cooperation.
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