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North Hollywood Crash Kills 3 Street Vendors; Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI
Three street vendors were killed and two women critically injured in a suspected DUI crash near the North Hollywood Metro station in LA.
By  Alonso González Bañuelas
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Tres vendedoras ambulantes mueren Flores y veladoras simbolizan el homenaje a las tres vendedoras ambulantes que murieron atropelladas en North Hollywood, Los Ángeles. Crédito: Ilustración: MundoNow. North Hollywood Crash Kills 3 Street Vendors; Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI
Foto Flores y veladoras simbolizan el homenaje a las tres vendedoras ambulantes que murieron atropelladas en North Hollywood, Los Ángeles. Crédito: Ilustración: MundoNow.

Posted on 11/12/26 at 21:30

  • Three street vendors were killed in a North Hollywood crash.

  • Two women remain hospitalized with critical injuries.

  • The 61-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI and three counts of murder.

Three street vendors were killed in a devastating crash in North Hollywood, California, leaving a community mourning women who had spent years serving food near a busy Metro station. Among the victims was Teodora Villalobos, 57, who had worked in the area for more than two decades.

Her daughter, Azucena Melissa Villalobos, 19, recalled her final conversation with her mother in an interview with N+ Univision 34, just hours before the November 10 crash.

"Get up, it's getting late. Start cleaning, mopping, and doing the laundry," Teodora told her daughter during a phone call around 12:30 p.m. Those were the last words Azucena remembers hearing from her mother.

The young woman explained that her mother was a single parent who raised three children by selling food. As she prepares to say goodbye, she has found comfort in the outpouring of affection from people who knew and loved her mother.

"God is the one who gives me strength. Without Him, I wouldn't be here," Azucena told Univision.

North Hollywood Crash: Who Were the Three Street Vendors Killed?

According to N+ Univision, two of the women killed were identified as Teodora Villalobos, 57, and María Peck, 73. The identity of the third victim had not been publicly released in the reports reviewed.

KTLA reported that both women were familiar faces in the neighborhood. Teodora had worked near the station for more than 20 years, while María, a mother of five, was known for her close relationships with customers.

Two other women, both approximately 50 years old, were hospitalized in critical condition. Univision identified Sylvia Figueroa, 55, as one of the injured women, citing information from her relatives.

Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI and Three Counts of Murder

The crash occurred around 5:55 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, near the intersection of Lankershim and Chandler boulevards, outside the North Hollywood Metro station.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), a white Toyota Sienna minivan driven by Ihor Demianenko, 61, veered off the road and struck pedestrians and street vendor stands on the sidewalk.

Demianenko was treated for minor injuries before being taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of murder. His bail was set at approximately $6 million, according to KTLA.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told Univision that investigators would carefully review available surveillance footage to determine the circumstances leading up to the crash.

"They will analyze it in slow motion and frame by frame to determine what happened," he explained.

North Hollywood Community Honors Street Vendors Killed in Crash

Flowers, photographs, and candles have been placed near the sidewalk where the women worked, as neighbors and relatives gathered to honor their memory, according to KTLA and NBC Los Angeles.

Community members remembered Teodora for her generosity, saying she regularly gave food to people who could not afford to pay.

"She was loved here," her daughter Karen told NBC Los Angeles, as relatives and community members mourned the victims and called for accountability.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian announced a fundraising initiative in partnership with ICON CDC to provide financial assistance to the affected families.

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