Crime & Safety

UCLA Graduate Killed After Being Hit by Taxi on Wilshire

Police are seeking more information about the early Saturday morning accident in Santa Monica.

A student celebrating her recent graduation from UCLA was killed by a taxi after running across Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica early Saturday morning. 

Melissa Del-Aguila, 24, had been seen with friends at Q’s Billiards in West Los Angeles around 1 a.m., according to the . Officers believe she did not drive there, but it is unclear how she traveled to Santa Monica.

At 2:30 a.m., a Bell Cab driving westbound on Wilshire struck Del-Aguila near  (2400 block) after she ran into the street from the north sidewalk.

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Del-Aguila, who lived in West Los Angeles, was in critical condition when she was transported to a local hospital. She later died there.

Police are investigating the incident and asking the public for information. Del-Aguila was a Hispanic female, 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 95 pounds. She had long, straight brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing a light, floral colored blouse and dark-blue skinny jeans. She was also wearing white shoes with 5-inch heels.

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If you provide police with information, you may be eligible for a reward of as much as $1,000.

Contact Detective Chris Dawson at 310-458-8954 or Sgt. Jeff Wiles at 310-458-8950, or call the general SMPD line at 310-458-8495, if you have information about what happened.

If you want to remain anonymous, call WeTip at 1.800.78.CRIME or submit the tip online at WeTip.com. Another option is calling Crime Stoppers at 800.222.TIPS, texting from your mobile phone or visiting LACrimeStoppers.org.


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