FAMILY'S RUNAWAY CAR CRUSHES BOY TO DEATH.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

BURBANK - What started as a joyous day for 12-year-old Kevin Cabrera - Christmas shopping with his family and leading his youth basketball team to a tournament victory - ended in tragedy.

Cabrera, a popular and athletic boy, was still wearing his Burbank Lakers uniform - No. 8, just like his idol Kobe Bryant - when he went outside Wednesday night to help his father, Robert, clean out the car they'd just bought for mother Rubia.

In a horrific series of events, authorities said, the 1992 Nissan Maxima, its engine running, somehow shifted into reverse, traveled backward across the street and into a neighbor's yard. Kevin suffered fatal injuries when he was pinned between the door and the curb as he tried to jump out of the moving vehicle.

``It's a very tragic accident,'' Burbank police Detective Jeff Campbell said Thursday.

Kevin's 12-year-old cousin, Ambar Cabrera, who lives at the Maple Street home with her aunt and uncle, said she heard cries for help and went outside to find her cousin lying helpless in the street.

``I was thinking, `He'll make it through because of how tough he is,''' she said, crying.

Kevin was still breathing when his father got to him, but went into full cardiac arrest before he had arrived at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, police said.

Officers are investigating how the car, which has an automatic transmission, shifted on its own into reverse, Campbell said.

Ambar said she had looked up to her cousin - a straight-A student at Luther Burbank Middle School and an accomplished athlete who was active in both basketball and soccer.

``I just wanted to be like him in basketball,'' she said.

Kevin Bass, who coaches the Burbank Lakers, said Kevin led his team with 14 points in the tournament game and inspired his team to victory.

``I've coached 20 teams and he's one of the most coachable kids to play for me.''

In memory of Kevin, Bass said, each of the Burbank Lakers will wear a No. 8 on their jersey for the rest of the season. The players also will say a prayer for Kevin before every game.

Luis Mangandi, Kevin's former soccer coach, said everybody involved in the program loved Kevin.

``He was the best forward and he was an all-star player,'' Mangandi said. ``He had a beautiful personality. He was the captain of the team and he had a winning spirit.

Ambar said the family had gone Christmas shopping before Kevin's Wednesday night game, and that her cousin picked out sneakers like those worn by his favorite basketball player.

``The thing he wanted most was an autograph from Kobe Bryant,'' Ambar said tearfully.

``He was so nice and had lots of friends,'' Ambar said. ``I'm just going to miss him.''

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(color) Kevin Cabrera, 12, died after a new car purchased for his mom rolled backward and pinned him against a curb.