Female biker thrown to her death while doing stunts on parking garage roof
‘I know friends want to teach people, but if you’re that interested, take a professional course,’ sheriff’s sergeant says
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Your support makes all the difference.A motorcyclist fell to her death while doing stunts on the third floor of a parking garage.
Maribel Espitia has been identified by friends as the young woman who fell over the handlebars of her bike in Valencia, Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, on Monday, KHTS AM 1220 reported.
Police have said that she lost control of the bike or that she didn’t manage to brake before hitting the wall of the top floor of the parking garage at the Westfield Valencia Town Center.
Four people, two men and two women, had been doing stunts at the parking garage, which mall staff have said is a known spot where bikers perform “donuts”, according to DailyMail.com.
“I know friends want to teach people, but if you’re that interested, take a professional course,” Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Dave Shoemaker said.
“My best friend Maribel Espitia was in a tragic accident and lost her life,” Destiny Gonzalez on the page for a GoFundMe fundraiser.
“Anyone who knew or met Maribel knew that she was an exceptional person who you only meet once in a lifetime,” she added.
“Words itself can’t even describe how pure and kind-hearted she was, she left us all way too soon,” Ms Gonzalez wrote. “Anything that can be donated to help with her funeral cost or other expenses would greatly be appreciated. All donations will be given to her parents Susana and Sergio Espitia.”
The fundraiser had gathered more than $15,000 as of midday on Thursday.
A 911 call came in concerning the incident at around 5pm on Monday, following witnesses seeing Ms Espitia fall over the wall of the third floor of the parking garage.
Los Angeles County Fire treated her at the scene of the incident, but she died after being taken to hospital.
A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson called the incident a “tragic accident”, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
“My condolences to the Espitia family. My heart aches for you guys,” Jocabad Chelion Mendoza wrote on Facebook. “My Prayers go out to you.”
“A high school friend who was so nice and down to earth. We only spoke so many times ... This is so unreal,” she added.
A memorial for Ms Espitia is set to take place on Thursday evening at the car dealership Infiniti of Valencia, where she was a receptionist, KHTS reported.
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