CYCLIST, 12, SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer

Nothing could hold back 12-year-old Emmanuel Jimenez.

Not the cerebral palsy that left him weak. Not painful surgeries to straighten his hobbled limbs. Not even his mother's warnings to hold off riding his new bike until she had $30 to buy him a helmet.

So in the face of her son's indomitable spirit, Pauline Jimenez reluctantly let Emmanuel ride his new chrome bike - her gift to him for doing well in school.

``He kept being persistent and bothering me, so I told him, `You can go outside, but stay right here in front where I can see you and don't go across the street,' '' she said. ``Then it got all quiet, and I went outside to check on him - and he had been hit by a car.''

Police say the boy darted into the path of a pizza delivery car Monday, the first day of spring break. He died at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday in the hospital with his mother at his side.

It was the same day that she planned to buy the helmet.

From Emmanuel's birth, he had to fight for the freedom of movement others take for granted.

``He was my miracle child,'' said Jimenez. ``They didn't give him a good chance of living but he was brave. Everything they said he couldn't do, he did. He would try to swim, jump, dance, to rap on stage.''

Stunned relatives and Emmanuel's young playmates remembered the eager boy through their tears as someone who took on so many challenges, yet showed more concern for others than himself.

``He like to help people,'' his mother recalled. ``He got a disability check once a year, and he would not use it for himself. He bought his cousin a baby stroller, his other cousin a backpack. He just bought a book for himself.''

Emmanuel's 17-year-old sister, Michelle Feliciano, added: ``He would always tell my mother, `When I grow up I'm going to buy you a house and take care of you.' ''

Near the accident scene, a dejected 11-year-old Fernando Montes De Oca clutched a school yearbook, taking occasional peeks at the photo of his lost friend.

``Me and him grew up together. When I moved here he came over and asked if I wanted to play,'' Fernando said. ``Today I heard he died and I felt sad. He was my friend.''

On top of the grief, the family must now struggle with the cost of a funeral.

Neighbors dropped by the Jimenez's house in the 14700 block of West Friar Street to drop folded $20 bills in the plastic piggy bank Emmanuel received for Christmas. Even with the funeral fund, the boy's mother was unsure she could afford the funeral.

As a result, Emmanuel's older brother and sister plan to wash cars in front of the house today to raise some more money.

Detectives say they do not believe the driver who struck Emmanuel was to blame, although they continue to investigate the accident.

According to witnesses, Emmanuel was riding his bike when he darted across the street and into the path of a Nissan Sentra driven by pizza deliveryman Otto Castillo, said Los Angeles police Detective Jim Mann of the Valley Traffic Division.

Castillo, a 28-year-old North Hollywood resident, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Police do not believe he was speeding and he was not cited at the scene, Mann said. The case will be reviewed by the City Attorney's Office.

California law requires that all bicyclists under age 18 wear a helmet.

Police say West Friar Street is not particularly notorious for speeding motorists.

Near a small shrine to Emmanuel, a half dozen youngsters played soccer on the sidewalk Tuesday afternoon, chasing the ball into the street and paying little attention to approaching cars.

Not including Emmanuel's death, there were 16 traffic-related fatalities in the San Fernando Valley as of April 1, compared to 19 during the same period last year, according to the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division.

With students on spring break, police urged motorists to be extra cautious, especially on residential streets.

``Slow down the speed in residential areas,'' Mann said. ``A lot of kids feel invincible and they aren't concerned about cars coming down the street. Then bingo.''

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Photo: (color) EMMANUEL