A grandmother was hospitalized with severe injuries after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in San Fernando.

On May 20, Sonia Mikaelian, 62, was walking on a crosswalk at 5th Street and North Maclay Avenue around 6:20 p.m. when a driver in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck made a left turn and slammed into the woman on the busy street. 

The suspect continued speeding away, leaving the injured woman lying on the road. 

“As soon as they hit her, they bolted down the street without any regard,” the victim’s son, Vrej Mikaelian, told KTLA’s Sara Welch.

Sonia was hospitalized with broken bones and other serious injuries and has a long road to recovery. 

Vrej said he’s thankful that a group of bystanders immediately rushed over to help his mother. As the driver remains at large, loved ones are doing everything they can to find them. 

Vrej said he was frustrated over the lack of updates from law enforcement on the investigation. “There is absolutely no response from them whatsoever,” he said. “Where is the investigation? Where is the reach out to the victims?”

Family members are asking anyone who may have dashcam or surveillance footage of the incident to come forward and provide the evidence to San Fernando police. 

They also noted the suspect’s truck has a utility rack and there appeared to be a passenger inside the vehicle.

Ultimately, the woman’s family said they hope the driver will do the right thing and turn themselves in.

“We personally will forgive you for what you have done,” Vrej said. “There are no consequences from us. Just turn yourself in.”

Anyone with information on the case can call the San Fernando Police Department at 818-898-1267.

A Los Angeles man has been charged in connection with a string of catalytic converter thefts across Ventura County, prosecutors announced Friday.

Efran Esau Flores Alvarez, 20, is facing nine felony grand theft charges after investigators linked him to a series of thefts reported in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley between March 20 and April 23, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

Authorities said Alvarez was arrested on May 19.

During the arrest, investigators allegedly found a hand saw, impact drills, saw blades and a floor jack inside his vehicle, along with more than $5,600 in cash.

Investigators believe Alvarez may be connected to additional catalytic converter thefts throughout Ventura County, and officials said the investigation remains ongoing, adding that more charges could be filed.

Catalytic converter thefts have remained a persistent issue across Southern California in recent years because the devices contain valuable precious metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the Simi Valley Police Department investigated the case.

Prosecutors also filed a special allegation claiming the crimes showed “planning, sophistication, or professionalism,” according to court documents.

Alvarez pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Thursday in Ventura County Superior Court. He remains in custody with bail set at $75,000 and is scheduled to return to court June 2 for an early disposition conference.

Firefighters are making significant progress on the flurry of wildfires that ignited across Southern California within the last week, during a period of dry, windy weather.

Firefighters say they’re now in the mop-up phase of battling the region’s largest active wildfire, the Santa Rosa Island Fire. The fire has grown to nearly 18,400 acres since it started on May 15.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire is the largest ever recorded on the Channel Islands. Investigators say the fire was started by an emergency flare fired by a man who crashed his sailboat into the island. 

Two uninhabited historic structures have been lost to the fire: The Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western end of the island, and Wreck Line Camp Cabin on the eastern end, National Park Service officials said.

The Sandy Fire in Ventura County is now 61% contained after burning nearly 2,200 acres in Simi Valley. The fire started on May 18, and has destroyed at least one home.

The Sandy Fire prompted the Simi Valley Unified School District to shutter all of its schools for almost a week. The district announced Friday that the schools will reopen on May 26. The district said that the closures will not result in a longer school year.

“We will not need to extend the school year to make up for the days schools were closed due to the fire emergency,” the Simi Valley Unified School District announced Friday. “The district intends to seek the appropriate state waiver related to attendance and instructional minutes resulting from a widespread public emergency.”

See details for all the major fires burning across Southern California below:

Santa Rosa Island Fire

• Location: Channel Islands National Park
• Size: 18,379 acres
• Containment: 72% contained
• Date started: May 15

Sandy Fire

• Location: Ventura County
• Size: 2,183 acres
• Containment: 61% contained
• Date started: May 18

Bain Fire

• Location: Riverside County
• Size: 1,497 acres
• Containment: 81% contained
• Date started: May 19

Verona Fire

• Location: Riverside County
• Size: 648 acres
• Containment: 67% contained
• Date started: May 19

Tusil Fire

• Location: San Diego County
• Size: 820 acres
• Containment: 100% contained
• Date started: May 19

Alta Fire 

• Location: Los Angeles County
• Size: 334 acres
• Containment: 0% contained
• Date started: May 21