A Cerritos College student who stepped off campus for lunch on July 6 never made it back to class. Edward Pyon, 39, was struck by a minivan at a gas station in the 10900 block of Alondra Boulevard in Norwalk, and detectives now say the driver hit him on purpose.
Pyon had been attending class at Cerritos College, located at 11110 Alondra Boulevard directly across the street, before he walked to the adjacent Chevron station for lunch shortly before the crash, according to the LASD Homicide Bureau. He was hospitalized after being hit and later died from blunt force injuries to the head, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. Official county records place the crash at approximately 6:50 a.m. that Monday, according to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors documents, which identify the suspect vehicle as a silver 2011–2020 Dodge Grand Caravan.
The station's report notes the minivan appeared to have damage to its driver's side front end, a detail investigators hope will help the public identify the vehicle. Homicide detectives released security camera video of the crash itself along with photos of the suspect vehicle this week, hoping someone recognizes it.
From Traffic Crash to Murder Investigation
What began as a hit-and-run has been formally classified as a homicide. Detectives said the driver intentionally struck Pyon, a determination that, per the same NBC Los Angeles account, shifted the case out of routine traffic-collision territory entirely.
That distinction carries weight under California law. Using a vehicle as a deliberate weapon can expose a driver to first- or second-degree murder charges under Penal Code Section 187, carrying 15 years to life or 25 years to life in state prison, according to the Shouse Law Group. Prosecutors pursuing murder charges would need to establish express or implied malice aforethought, the firm notes. Separately, fleeing the scene of a collision resulting in death or injury is itself a felony under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, punishable by up to four years in state prison and up to $10,000 in fines regardless of fault for the initial impact, according to Eisner Gorin LLP.
Officials Appeal for Tips, Offer Reward
Detectives, Cerritos College Police Chief Don Mueller, Cerritos College President Dr. Jose Fierro, and Pyon's family gathered Wednesday at the LASD Homicide Bureau in Monterey Park to appeal for public help, where officials released the security video and suspect vehicle photos to encourage tips. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
The board's resolution, sponsored by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and seconded by Supervisor Holly Mitchell, sets firm deadlines: information must reach law enforcement no later than December 13, 2026, with written reward claims submitted to the county by February 11, 2027, per county records. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-8477.
A Troubled Stretch of Alondra Boulevard
The block where Pyon died has seen violence before. The 10900 block of Alondra Boulevard was the site of a 2016 gang-related shooting of an 18-year-old in a 7-Eleven parking lot and a fatal deputy-involved shooting at a gas station the same year, according to the Los Angeles Times. That 2016 deputy shooting led to a rare voluntary manslaughter charge against an LASD deputy, the paper reported.
Pedestrian safety along Alondra Boulevard has also been an ongoing concern in Norwalk. A 57-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a UPS delivery vehicle at the nearby intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Shoemaker Avenue in May, a case Hoodline previously covered. Reckless driving has repeatedly disrupted the city's streets this year, including a suspected street race on Rosecrans Avenue last month that left one driver dead, three hospitalized, and 16 vehicles damaged. Statewide, speeding and aggressive driving contributed to 32 percent of all traffic deaths in California in 2023, resulting in 1,303 fatalities, according to UC Berkeley SafeTREC data.
For now, the silver Dodge Grand Caravan remains unaccounted for, and investigators have not said whether Pyon and the driver knew each other. Anyone who recognizes the vehicle in the released photos is asked to come forward before the reward deadline closes.
