Simi Valley man killed in hit-and-run

A 40-year-old Simi Valley man pleaded not guilty this month to charges stemming from a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a pedestrian in a 7-Eleven parking lot on Erringer Road, and a judge has ordered him held in custody pending trial after finding he poses a flight risk.

Alvaro Abel Has Gomez appeared remotely by Zoom in Ventura County Superior Court on Sept. 2 before Judge Ferdinand Inumerable, where he entered not-guilty pleas to felony hit-and-run resulting in death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, according to the Simi Valley Acorn, which first reported the case.

The victim, identified by his family as Juan Huerta Rosales — known to friends and loved ones as "Pato" — was pronounced dead at the scene of the Aug. 31 collision. He is remembered by relatives as a man whose kindness and humor touched people throughout Simi Valley.

What happened on Erringer Road

According to the Simi Valley Police Department, officers responded around 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 31 to the 7-Eleven at 1369 Erringer Road after receiving a report that a vehicle had struck a pedestrian in the parking lot.

Rosales suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver, according to investigators, fled after striking him. As officers searched the surrounding area, they located the suspect vehicle abandoned nearby. Their investigation led them to Gomez, who was taken into custody without incident.

Details about the circumstances of the collision itself — such as vehicle speed or what may have preceded it — have not been publicly released by police. The case remains under investigation by the department's Traffic Bureau.

Judge denies release, citing flight risk

At the Sept. 2 arraignment, the court also took up the question of whether Gomez should be released before trial or have his bail reduced. Judge Inumerable denied the defense's request for pretrial release, determining Gomez was a flight risk, the Acorn reported.

Gomez remains in custody in lieu of $300,000 bail. The case has a series of near-term court dates: a bail review was continued to Sept. 11, an early disposition conference is scheduled for Sept. 14, and a preliminary examination — the hearing at which a judge determines whether enough evidence exists to hold the defendant to answer for the charges — is set for Sept. 16.

The Ventura County District Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. A conviction on felony hit-and-run resulting in death can carry significant prison time under California law, though any potential sentence would depend on the outcome of the proceedings, which are in their early stages. Gomez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

A community mourns 'Pato'

For Rosales' family, the criminal case is only part of the story. In the days after his death, relatives established a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses, and they are asking community members to share their memories of him.

"Anyone who knew Pato knew his kind heart, his sense of humor and the way he could make people smile," family member Rebecca Huerta wrote on the fundraising page. "He leaves behind his loving mother, his brothers and sisters, family, friends, and so many people throughout Simi Valley whose lives he touched."

"We would love to hear your memories of Pato," Huerta wrote. "Whether you knew him for years or only crossed paths with him once, please share a story, a picture, a funny moment, or even a small interaction you remember."

The family's GoFundMe page is gofund.me/6437bd6ba.

What comes next

Residents with information about the collision are asked to contact the Simi Valley Police Department Traffic Bureau at 805-583-6950. Investigators have asked that anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information come forward, as witness accounts can be critical in reconstructing parking-lot collisions, where surveillance coverage and bystanders are often the primary evidence.

The Erringer Road corridor, near the 118 freeway and several residential neighborhoods, is one of Simi Valley's familiar commercial stretches, and the 7-Eleven there draws steady foot traffic throughout the day. A fatal collision in a parking lot — a place where pedestrians and vehicles share space at low speeds — underscores how quickly such encounters can turn deadly, traffic safety advocates say, and why drivers are legally required to stop, render aid and identify themselves after any collision resulting in injury or death. California's hit-and-run statute treats fleeing the scene of a fatal collision as a felony precisely because remaining at the scene can mean the difference between aid arriving in time and a tragedy.

The upcoming court dates — the bail review, early disposition conference and preliminary hearing — will shape how quickly the case moves toward resolution. Early disposition conferences sometimes open the door to plea negotiations; if the case proceeds instead to a preliminary hearing, prosecutors would present evidence publicly for the first time.

For now, Rosales' family is focused on burying him and gathering the memories neighbors want to share — a reminder, they wrote, of how many lives one person can touch in a community the size of Simi Valley.