SOUTH GATE : Woman Dies From Car Fire Injuries

Efforts by city officials and residents to help a 21-year-old burn victim pay for medical costs were redirected to funeral expenses last week after she died.

Aurora Estrada died Jan. 14 at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center from burns she suffered from an explosion at a gasoline station two weeks earlier.

The fire was ignited when a motorist allegedly under the influence of alcohol and drugs rammed into her vehicle while she was refueling at a gas station near State Street and Firestone Boulevard. Estrada suffered third-degree burns over 60% of her body.

Estrada was to have been buried Friday morning at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.

The tragedy had galvanized the community, and mobilized city employees to open a fund to help Estrada’s family.

“We have quite a big interest in this because four or five of our officers were there trying to pull her from the fire,” said South Gate Police Detective Greg Wells, adding that the Police Officers Assn. donated $1,000 to the Estrada fund. By the middle of last week, the city had collected just over $2,000 from individuals and groups.

The family has incurred about $20,000 in medical bills and an additional $7,000 in funeral costs, said Carmen Corral, a cousin of Estrada’s and a family spokeswoman.

“But I’m sure we can’t get enough for the funeral expenses by Friday,” said Vice Mayor Henry Gonzalez, who along with Police Chief Ron George headed the campaign to help the Estradas.

Estrada was the only child of Marta and Javier Estrada, who live near the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Santa Ana Street.

“Their whole life revolved around her, to pay college costs,” Corral said. “They didn’t want her to have to work so she (could) concentrate on her studies.”

An alumna of St. Mathias High School in Huntington Park, Estrada graduated at the top of her class in 1992 and had received the Presidential Award for Academic Fitness by then-President George Bush.

A sophomore at Cal State Fullerton, Estrada was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

The suspect, Jose Manuel Tizzoc, 27, of Huntington Park, was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Police last week turned the case over to the district attorney’s office for possible vehicular manslaughter or second-degree murder charges, said police Chief Ron George.

Donations for the Estradas may be made to the Jorge Corral Law Office, 3580 Wilshire Blvd., 17th Floor, Los Angeles, Calif. 90010. Information: (213) 739-1932.