FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Case # 15CF1773
Date: November 2, 2018
MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATAL
HIT-AND-RUN AFTER SPEEDING THROUGH RED LIGHT
AND KILLING 9-YEAR-OLD BOY IN CROSSWALK
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced today to 17 years in state prison for a fatal hit-and-run crash after speeding through red light and killing a 9-year-old boy in a crosswalk. His codefendant was sentenced to four years in state prison on Oct. 12, 2018.
| Defendant | Charges | Sentence |
| Roderick Kent Jerro, 53, Orange | Found guilty by a jury on Aug. 28, 2018, of the following felony counts:
Prior Strike Convictions
|
17 years in state prison |
| Miguel Villagomez, 29, Anaheim | Found guilty by a jury on Aug. 28, 2018, of the following felony count:
|
Four years in state prison |
Circumstances of the Case
- At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2015, Villagomez was involved in a minor traffic collision with Jerro’s vehicle on Tustin Street and Palm Avenue in Orange and attempted to drive away. Jerro pursued Villagomez’s vehicle.
- During this chase, both defendants sped northbound through a red light at the intersection of North Glassell Street and Wilson Avenue.
- In the intersection, Jerro hit 9-year-old Jesse Rosales as he was crossing the street with his older sister.
- Both Jerro and Villagomez failed to stop to render aid or assistance to the victim and the defendants continued to speed away.
- Villagomez continued to drive northbound, attempted to make a left turn on West Taft Avenue, and crashed into a brick wall, which disabled his vehicle.
- Jerro stopped his vehicle near the site where Villagomez crashed.
- Rosales was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
- Both defendants were arrested a short time later by the Orange Police Department, who investigated this case.
Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Bokosky, Homicide Unit