The LA teen who ran over a mother and her baby in Venice in 2021 has been shot and killed. His body was found in Palmdale, California on Wednesday.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Kristopher Baca, 17, was at a fast-food restaurant prior to his death. And was trying to “get with a girl.”

"As he walked home alone, a car pulled up next to him and an argument broke out. Someone in the vehicle opened fire, then sped off." 

LA teen involved in a hit-and-run 

 When Baca was just 15-years-old he was involved in a hit-and-run incident in August of 2021. He was driving with drugs in his system in a “stolen” vehicle. He also traveled the wrong way on a one-way street when he ran over a mother and her baby.

 The mom identified as “Rachel” had been pushing her eight-month-old baby, Charlie in a stroller when Baca swerved to hit them. And he promptly left the scene, only to be stopped when a truck blocked his path and witnesses forced him out of the vehicle.

A video of the incident went viral. 

The shocking images of Baca smashing his black SUV into the victims caused outrage in LA. Rachel was thrown over the hood of the vehicle as it crashed into the baby stroller. Incredibly the baby boy was miraculously unharmed. And his Mom had cuts on her arms and a back injury.

It was later discovered that the teenager was on felony probation for poisoning a high school girl's drink at the time of the hit-and-run. 

He was finally sentenced in 2022.  And only served 5 of the 7-month sentence at a  'juvenile probation camp,' rather than in juvenile detention. And his record would have been expunged when he turned 18.

Soft-on-crime DA

Rachel was critical of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon for giving the LA teen such a light sentence. And the victim's family moved out of Los Angeles describing the city's soft-on-crime policies as dangerous. 

Her victim impact statement claimed, “DA Gascon is telling him and every other thug in LA County that it doesn't matter if you try to murder people. Why are Gascon's policies prioritizing the livelihood of rotten monsters when my child, my baby, who is incapable of protecting himself, is left to fend for himself and is essentially being told his life doesn't matter?” 

Gascon claimed the sentence was 'an appropriate resolution.' And said that juvenile justice was intended to 'rehabilitate young people.'

“'In this case, this teen will be held accountable for his actions and receive the needed services to foster positive development to keep him from committing future offenses,” Gascon’s office said.

Gascon, 68, was elected in November 2020. He has been unpopular for his progressive policies that critics say are soft-on-crime. In August 2022, a recall petition fell short of the 567,000 required to bring a recall motion to the ballot. It received 520,000 names.

When told of Baca's death, Rachel the mom who the LA teen had run over said she was “relieved and saddened” by the news. 

“The universe delivered the justice we weren't given in court, but a much harsher punishment than he'd have been dealt in a court of law,” she added.