Carlos Salas, O.C. Skateboarder, Killed and Dragged Through Street by Hit-and-Run Driver

By Simone Wilson Fri., Sep. 7 2012 at 6:05 PM

Carlos Salas via Facebook

Tragedy struck the seaside town of Laguna Niguel in the wee hours this morning, when friends tell the local Patch that 20-year-old Carlos Salas was killed just 400 feet from his house.

Orange County Sheriff's investigators say the young victim was skateboarding home from a friend's place around 3:48 a.m. when black 1998 Nissan Maxima plowed into him, dragging him southbound along Golden Lantern ...

... before leaving him on the street to die. The suspect is then believed to have ditched the incriminating vehicle, because a black Nissan with extensive damage to its front left hood and the area behind its back right tire was found a quarter-mile from the scene.

Although it's registered to a Dana Park resident, O.C. County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gail tells Patch that "we don't know if the owner is the person who was driving the car at the time."

As of 5:30 p.m., a suspect has yet to be arrested for the crime, says Lieutenant Jim England, watch commander for the department.

The intersection where Salas was hit -- Golden Lantern and Marina Hills Drive -- is a classic sprawling O.C. traffic stop, situated in an upper-middle-class swatch of suburbia. The Nissan was likely the only car for miles, and Salas the only pedestrian.

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Corina Mora Gomez via Instagram

"my little bro♥"

Salas' friends have been paying their dues to the young victim via Facebook and Twitter all day. "You will always be in our hearts, your in a better place now!!" wrote Alexis Salazar. "I can not believe you are gone :/ seems like just yesterday I saw you," wrote Danielle Belle. "REST IN PEACE TO THE YOUNG SOUL THAT WAS TAKEN," wrote Clavis Aranda.

A makeshift vigil for Salas has reportedly been set up on the lawn near the deadly intersection, where friends are leaving flowers and candles in his memory.

Anyone with any information about the crash or the missing driver is urged to call sheriff's investigators at (949) 425-1860. Twenty-four-hour tips can also be called into (855) TIP-OCCS.

[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

Carlos Salas, hit and run, Laguna Niguel, skateboarding

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nick

carlos was a amazing person, loyalist funnest most caring individual ever. im honored to be called carlos salas's friend.

dixie122

Upper middle class neighborhood? LOL. Hardly.

victoriapappas

@simondelao You're worthless. people like you just exist to breathe good air and prevent progress in any possible way. you might as well be part of the westbourough baptist church. who the fuck talks shit about somebody who died? you're sick, please kill yourself so the world can move on.

joshdlobb

@simondelao your the worst piece of scum on the fucking earth, rejoicing in the death of another human being for mostly any reason I'll never endorse, Except in such cases as Osama, or when it'[s a threat. But to say such a disgusting pig-like sentence about someone who just wanted to have fun, well you fucked up piece of shit and I hope your mother kick you in the balls you while you cry your way to sleep. Your no better than the pigs that the Panthers fought back in the 70's, a coward hiding behind a computer, and a fucked up mentality to go with it.

EAT SHIT

ejay123

@simondelao you're probably just being a sick fuck because you were always jealous in high school that you never could skateboard because your parents wouldn't let you so now you have to be a little limped dick bitch. I agree with @isaiahrolow @AustinF18 that you are a a fucked up human being and even if you're trying to troll people its not that funny because i wonder what his parents will say when they read that first comment on a story about there sons death. eat shit.

simondelao

GOOD RIDDANCE! Now maybe these little assholes will learn to stay the fuck out of the street and OFF the sidewalks. They should be confined to skateboarding in their living rooms. Let mommy and daddy put up with their anti-social bullshit for a while

joshmobillybob

1 Like

@simondelao finally somebody understands, skaters in the streets is outright blasphemous as well as dangerous. god told me to keep at lest 3 fingers up my ass at all times so i dont fall into boredom and have to do dangerous things that will kill me. this kid was a fucking asshole for living his life, antisocial or not, shit. and he was a beaner; god hates those too. so next time you step onto a skateboard eastbound pushing mongo on a head full of acid just shove a few fingers up your ass like this guy @simondelao and sit down and shut the fuck up. hes got it all right, live as long as your can and then die because life got bored of you. thats the motto, and any fascist antisocial mexican can suck my dick and shove 3 fingers up their ass.thanks @simondelao , your just the dumbed down, edgy, asshole fingering genius this world needs.this kid died doing what he loved, so i hope, you too @simondelao will have the chance to die one day, not in a screaming flurry of bloody metal dragging your remains across the pavement, but slowly and quietly, boring as usual, and with 3 fingers up your ass. and lucky you, nobody finds that interesting enough to make raunchy jokes at.

isaiahrolow

1 Like

@simondelao carlos was a good friend of mine that i used to skate with alot back in sophmore year. i hope to god your just making a sick joke because an innocent life was taking when a miserable life like yours should have been taking instead.

AustinF18

1 Like

@simondelao Its people like you that make this country a shithole. I would like to take this moment out of my personal time to say with all the utmost hatred my body and soul has to tell you that i honestly hope you burn in the fiery pits of hell you piece of shit. He may not have been the most perfect person but he certainly was a hell of a better person than you. So you can go fuck yourself, you close-minded, hateful, degenerate, piece of human filth. For you to even right such a horrible thing about someone you probably didn't even meet, see, talk to, or know. I hope someone hits and drags you through the street. So GO FUCK YOURSELF and please make sure to have a belt around your neck so you choke you stupid, ignorant, hateful Fuckhead.