Family seeks answers after mother of four killed in Mission Hills hit-and-run

A young mother of four children was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the 118 Freeway in Mission Hills early Friday morning, CBS News Los Angeles reported.

California Highway Patrol officers found 33-year-old Ruby Ortiz dead on a slope off the westbound side of the freeway around 6:40 a.m. Investigators are still working to understand how she ended up on the freeway and what caused her death.

Family members said they do not know why Ortiz was on the freeway that morning. They were told she was seen in a car around 1:25 a.m. with a man believed to be her partner, but they have been unable to contact him and want to speak with him for answers.

The family is considering the possibility that Ortiz may have been harmed intentionally, though they do not want to believe that. She left behind children ranging in age from 4 to 13 years old.

A friend has set up a GoFundMe page to support Ortiz's children. Family members described her as a strong, happy, and outspoken mother who prioritized her kids.

The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the hit-and-run incident on the 118 Freeway.