Anger simmering in East Palo Alto over car accident that killed child

EAST PALO ALTO, Calif. -- In East Palo Alto Wednesday night, emotions ran hot as people demanded answers about the death of a little girl hit by a car while in a crosswalk near a school.Some remained unsatisfied when police explained why the driver hasn't been arrested.At one point things, got so emotional and tense at the meeting at the St. Francis of Assisi that someone reminded the crowd that they were in a church and they should show some respect."There will never be peace in this community until we know whether this lady was talking on the phone moments before hitting that child. We demand an answer," area resident Marylu Serrano said.It has been two weeks since a school teacher's car hit and killed a six-year-old girl walking in a crosswalk to school.Some at the meeting wanted to know why the teacher -- who had previous traffic citations including driving while talking on a cell phone -- has not been taken into custody."We want to find a bad guy and tonight I guess, I'm it," said East Palo Alto Police Chief Ron Davis. "But that doesn't change the fact that there was no evidence to make the arrest. It doesn't change the fact that I could not search or take the cell phone."Throughout the loud meeting, the mother of the crash victim Siorelli Torres Zamora who saw the accident happen sat quietly, once rubbing a tear from her eye.In Spanish, Jorge Isenicio said, "If we're not responsible for our own driving, we could have a thousand stop signs and we'll still have these accidents." The crowd applauded.The mayor of East Palo Alto said next week decisions will be announced on street improvements. Also, next week the district attorney will decide if the driver who hit the little girl will face criminal charges.

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