Once again, an innocent person has been murdered by a cowardly hit-and-run driver.
A driver who somehow couldn’t manage to avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking, with predictable results.
Allegedly, of course.
But at least this time, the killer was caught a short time later, and not far away.
According to the Fontana Herald News, the victim was riding west on Mission Blvd near Baker Ave in Ontario, just south of the airport, when he was run down sometime early Wednesday morning.
He was found on the shoulder of the road by a passerby, who called police at 1:10 am; no word on how long he’d been there before being discovered.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the paper, he was on his way home, riding west on Mission, when he was somehow struck by a cowardly hit-and-run driver, who left him there to die.
Nearly an hour and a half later, police received a report of a suspicious vehicle less than a block away in a parking lot at 1320 S. Baker Ave.
They found it had major front end damage matching the evidence at the crash scene, while the driver, 31-year old Ontario resident Julio Tapia, was still inside with minor head and face injuries.
He was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, hit-and-run, and gross vehicular manslaughter.
If there was any real justice, he’d be charged with second degree murder for making a conscious decision to leave the victim of his hit-and-run to die there in the street, rather than calling for help as the law and basic human decency demands.
Assuming he was actually capable of making a decision, and wasn’t so drunk he had no idea what the hell just happened.
He’s being held on a quarter-million dollar bond pending arraignment on Friday.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Ontario Police Department at 909/986-6711 or Officer Brandon Resendez at 909/408-1805.
This is at least the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
Update: The victim has been identified as 22-year old Pomona resident Thomas Shane Pinto.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Thomas Shane Pinto and his loved ones.
We offer up our prayers for the family and friends of the victim.
I am Thomas uncle..me and my brother Michael quaas have been down here with Nikki and art nez dealing with this since it happend…basically the da says they had to release him because the investigation is ongoing…i call bullshit…he couldve been arraigned and charged within 72 hours on these charges..and been held to answer for his crimes..but he wasn’t…there is enough evidence to atleast hold him as they do a deeper investigation…but that’s not the case..now the da is saying that it could be months and even up to a year…i personally think its bullshit…this law needs to change…dude took a life while driving drunk…he left the scene of a crime k owing that he hit someone or something…he is a flight risk obviously…and I just pray that julio tapia does not hurt another person while the police investigate…i can guarantee that if I was to go out and Rob a bank…i wouldn’t be released…i would be held in jail while the cops investigate…