Altadena Man Identified in Fatal South Pasadena Crash After Police Pursuit Was Called Off

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the Altadena man who died early Friday after crashing a stolen vehicle into a South Pasadena home, following a brief police pursuit that Pasadena officers had terminated earlier because they thought it unsafe.

Viridiana Aguilar, Public Records Act Officer for the Medical Examiner’s Office, confirmed to Pasadena Now that the deceased was 20-year-old Andrew Gonzalez. His name had previously been withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Gonzalez was the sole occupant of a gray 2020 Dodge Charger that had been reported stolen out of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Northeast Division on Sept. 14.

Pasadena officers first encountered the vehicle early Friday morning after receiving a Flock Safety alert near Orange Grove Boulevard and Green Street, according to Pasadena Police Lt. Matt Campeau.  Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver accelerated westbound on Del Rosa Street, prompting a pursuit that continued south on Grand Avenue, east on Ellis Street, and south again on Orange Grove Boulevard.

The pursuit was terminated at California Boulevard in less than a minute due to unsafe conditions, according to Campeau.

“The suspect continued almost one mile before the fatal traffic collision in South Pasadena,” Pasadena Chief Communications Officer Lisa Derderian said in a city statement. “It was not an active pursuit that led to the fatal collision.”

South Pasadena police were dispatched at 5:04 a.m. to the 300 block of Orange Grove Avenue, south of Columbia Street, where the Charger had flipped onto its hood and crashed into a garage. Officers found Gonzalez with significant injuries and initiated CPR. South Pasadena Fire Department personnel continued lifesaving efforts, but Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash caused extensive damage to the residence and led to prolonged road closures. Southbound traffic on Orange Grove Avenue between Columbia Street and the 110 Freeway off-ramp was diverted throughout the day. Motorists were advised to use alternate routes such as Fair Oaks Avenue or Arroyo Parkway and expect residual congestion.

The investigation remains ongoing.