A Redwood City driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run after prosecutors said he fled a minor collision last week, then fatally injured a passenger who chased the pickup and climbed onto its tailgate.
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Lazaro Gregorio Chacajlux, 32, pleaded not guilty Friday to felony vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run resulting in death and misdemeanor hit-and-run involving property damage, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Barbara J. Mallach rejected prosecutors’ request to hold Chacajlux without bail and set bail at $150,000. He remained in custody Monday.
The charges stem from the July 14 death of Arturo Cervantes Romero, 36, of Redwood City.
Prosecutors said Chacajlux was backing a Ford F-150 out of a driveway that evening when he struck a Jeep Wrangler driven by Romero’s wife. She pulled over to exchange information, but Chacajlux continued south on Hudson Street before turning west onto Woodside Road, prosecutors said.
Romero, who had been riding in the Jeep’s front passenger seat, got out and pursued the pickup, prosecutors said.
“Unfortunately, the tragic choice was made by our victim to chase after the vehicle that took off on them, and so he jumped out of the passenger side, jumped up and caught up with it when it was at that intersection there near Woodside Road and grabbed onto the back of the vehicle,” District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said.
Romero climbed onto the pickup’s tailgate, then was thrown from the truck and fatally injured as Chacajlux continued driving, prosecutors alleged.
“It wasn’t like he was going 90 mph,” Wagstaffe added. “It does not take much to throw you from a vehicle.”
Wagstaffe said descriptions of the collision indicated Romero “got wrapped up in the tire.”
Chacajlux continued driving after Romero was injured, prosecutors said.
Redwood City police officers were dispatched to the scene around 7:45 p.m. Emergency personnel pronounced Romero dead at 7:57 p.m.
Investigators identified Chacajlux’s pickup using automated license plate reader cameras, prosecutors said. The truck was later found abandoned nearby.
Chacajlux surrendered to police July 15.
Wagstaffe said the three charges cover different parts of the sequence: the initial collision, Romero’s death and Chacajlux’s alleged failure to stop afterward.
“His actions killed a human being,” Wagstaffe said. “He didn’t stop. … If you’re aware of it, you have to stop. Our belief is that he was, and then he drove off because he was scared.”
Wagstaffe said his office sought to hold Chacajlux without bail because Romero was killed and Chacajlux allegedly failed to stop after both the initial collision and Romero’s fatal injury.
Nafiz Ahmed, Chacajlux’s defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Chacajlux could face up to six years in prison if convicted, Wagstaffe said.
Chacajlux is scheduled to return to court July 24 for a hearing on a defense request to reduce his bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 29.
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