Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price Charges an Alleged Hit-and-Run Driver with Vehicular Manslaughter in Death of an Elderly Pedestrian
April 17, 2024
Oakland, CA— Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price charged Jose Perez with one count of Vehicular Manslaughter with Gross Negligence and one count of Hit-and-Run Driving for the May 31, 2022, death of 72-year-old Emelia Martinez Roa. A pair of enhancements for Prior Convictions and Violence or Bodily Harm have been added to the charges against Defendant Perez. If convicted, Mr. Perez faces a possible sentence of six years in state prison.
Prosecutors believe the evidence will show that the victim was walking on International Blvd in Oakland’s Fruitvale District, when the defendant, who was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle at the time, allegedly hit and killed the victim without stopping to call for help or render aid. Instead, the defendant allegedly sped away from the scene of the deadly collision.
“Taking a walk in Alameda County should not end with someone losing their life due to the negligence of a driver behind the wheel of a motor vehicle,” said District Attorney Pamela Price. “The victim may have survived this tragedy if the person driving would have paid attention to the road before the collision and stopped to help afterward.”
The case is set for arraignment on April 25, 2024.
Contact: damedia@acgov.org