SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, November 6, the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News that a suspect had been arrested in connection to a fatal hit-and-run that transpired on Wilshire Boulevard.
The incident transpired on October 24, in the 1300 block of Wilshire Boulevard, which resulted in the deaths of two pedestrians and serious injuries to two others. The names of those victims have not been disclosed to the public.
Following the collision, the Major Accident Response Team (MART) assumed the lead on
the investigation. Given the seriousness of the incident and the suspect’s efforts to evade
arrest, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) were brought in to help.
Through extensive investigative work, detectives identified Alex Kristopher Earl Kirksey, 38, as the responsible driver.
He has been charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with two counts of vehicular manslaughter (192(c)(1) PC), two counts of felony hit-and-run resulting in injury (20001(b)(2) VC), and one count of reckless driving (23103(a) VC). Evidence revealed that the involved vehicle had been rented through an online platform and that Kirksey took deliberate steps to avoid detection after the crash, including leaving the state in the days that followed.
The investigation revealed that the person who rented the vehicle traveled to the
scene after the collision, sought details about what occurred, and later assisted the
suspect in leaving the state. The extent of that individual’s involvement remains under
investigation and will be evaluated by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
These findings supported the issuance of search warrants, during which detectives
recovered additional evidence — including contact information and electronic records —
that helped determine Kirksey’s location.
Working with law enforcement partners in the Midwest, detectives with the Santa Monica Police Department tracked Kirksey to Chicago, Illinois. With the help of the Chicago Police Department, he was taken into custody at or near a transit center as he appeared to be attempting to flee further.
Kirksey has been extradited from Illinois and is currently in the custody of the Santa
Monica Police Department.
“This arrest reflects the persistence and professionalism of our investigators, who worked
tirelessly to identify and locate those responsible for this senseless act,” said Interim Chief
Darrick Jacob. “While nothing can undo the pain this tragedy caused, this marks an
important step toward justice for the victims and their families.”
“We are united with law enforcement in seeking justice for Maura Cohen and Brad Lipshy,
who were 61 years old when they were tragically killed simply exiting a restaurant, and the
two other victims who suffered critical injuries,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney
Nathan J. Hochman. “I’m thankful to the Santa Monica Police Department for their
thorough work on this ongoing investigation and our prosecutors who worked around the
clock with investigators to ensure the defendant would be arrested and face his day in
court. We have a message for criminals: You will not escape the law. Our office will
continue to advocate for the victims as the case progresses through the criminal justice
system.”
Anyone with additional details to this case is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Lantz Lewis at (310) 458-2201 ext. 5311, or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at (310) 458-8427.
By Danny Jones