Man Killed by Hit-and-Run Drivers After Machete Attack
A man trying to escape a machete attack ran into the road for help.
He was struck and killed by two vehicles whose drivers fled before police arrived.
How the Attack and the Crash Happened Within Minutes of Each Other
Westminster police responded to a crash near the 9200 block of Bolsa Avenue on June 14, where they found the male victim unresponsive on the roadway.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance video later showed the man had been assaulted by several people just minutes before the fatal collision, with one suspect striking him in the head multiple times with a machete.
The man tried to escape the assault by running into the roadway to flag down passing drivers — at which point two oncoming vehicles struck him.
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Who's Already in Custody
Detectives identified two suspects allegedly involved in the assault: Keaton Jones, 25, of Westminster, and Qui Ly, 56, of Westminster.
Both men were arrested on June 18, four days after the attack.
Police recovered the machete believed to have been used in the assault, found in a suspect's possession.
Jones and Ly were booked into the Orange County Jail on attempted homicide charges.
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The Drivers Who Didn't Stop
Both drivers fled the scene of the collision before officers arrived.
Police later located one of the hit-and-run drivers and their vehicle after the driver fled to Anaheim.
The second driver remains at large, along with their vehicle — described as a newer-model blue or black Toyota RAV4 SUV.
That description is specific enough to be genuinely useful to the public, but specific enough that the vehicle itself may be difficult to distinguish from countless similar SUVs on Orange County roads without a license plate or more distinguishing detail.
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Why This Is Officially Two Separate Cases
Police have confirmed the attempted murder assault is being investigated as a case separate from the hit-and-run crashes.
That separation matters procedurally: Jones and Ly face charges tied specifically to the assault itself, while the search for the second driver is being pursued as an independent hit-and-run investigation, regardless of how the two events are connected by the same few minutes and the same stretch of road.
Investigators said the traffic and detective divisions are working collaboratively to pursue prosecution in each case.
No details have been released about a motive for the assault, or whether the victim and the two arrested suspects knew each other beforehand.
What's Still Missing From This Case
The victim's name has not been released.
Without an identified motive or a known relationship between the man and his attackers, the assault itself remains, in a real sense, unexplained even with two suspects already in custody.
The second hit-and-run driver's continued freedom means that one full half of this case — a person who, whether by panic or by intent, left a dying man in the road — has not yet been resolved at all.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact Investigator Lin at 714-548-3784, the Westminster Police Watch Commander at 714-548-3767, or to submit an anonymous tip to OC Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-6227 or online.
Key Takeaways
- A man was struck and killed by two hit-and-run vehicles on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, California, on June 14, moments after being assaulted with a machete.
- Keaton Jones, 25, and Qui Ly, 56, both of Westminster, were arrested June 18 on attempted homicide charges related to the assault.
- The machete believed used in the attack was recovered from a suspect.
- One hit-and-run driver was located after fleeing to Anaheim; the second driver remains at large, driving a blue or black Toyota RAV4 SUV.
- Police are treating the assault and the hit-and-run crashes as separate cases, pursued by different divisions.
- The victim's identity has not been released, and no motive for the assault has been confirmed.
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World News Correspondent
Rachel Hayes reports on international affairs, geopolitics, and breaking world news. Based in London, she covers stories shaping the UK and global political landscape.
