Crime & Safety

$20K Reward Offered To Find Driver In Hit-And-Run That Killed Toddler And Father In Long Beach

Investigators described Montano Islas as a 5-foot-8, 160-pound man with black hair and tattoos on his right forearm.

August 13, 2025

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors increased the reward to find the hit-and-run driver who allegedly killed a 3-year-old and her father in 2022.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The deadly crash happened in North Long Beach on the night of March 1, 2022. Samantha Palacios, 3, and her father, Jose Palacios-Gonzalez, 42, were asleep in their apartment on the 6600 block of Rose Avenue when suspect Octavio Montano Islas slammed his 2014 Dodge Ram pickup truck through their wall.

The Long Beach Police Department said Montano Islas was drunk and driving away from a nearby bar. Initially, LA County offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of Montano Islas. Supervisor Janice Hahn increased the reward to $20,000 after it expired this year.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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