Santa Barbara police announced on Monday they have arrested the suspected driver and an alleged accomplice in the fatal hit-and-run in downtown Santa Barbara early Saturday morning that left a motor scooter rider dead.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department spokesperson Ethan Ragsdale’s initial statement on Saturday, the collision happened on February 24 around 2 a.m. at the intersection of East Cota Street and Santa Barbara Street, where Santa Barbara police responded to reports of a vehicle-versus-motor-scooter crash. Upon arriving, officers found the scooter rider lying in road and attempted life-saving measures. After county firefighters and paramedics arrived, however, the scooter rider was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
In a new statement released Monday morning, Ragsdale announced that “after tireless work from the Santa Barbara Police Department’s Traffic Section and Detectives,” two suspects were arrested on Saturday evening in connection to the “fatal hit-and-run.” Salvador Jimenez, 34, of Santa Barbara, was charged with felony hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail, where he remains on $500,000 bail. Estefani Nava Guerrero, 26, of Santa Barbara was charged with accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence and booked on $20,000 bail into county jail, where she is no longer listed as being in custody.
“A third person was interviewed pertaining to this case and released,” Ragsdale said, “and charges may be referred to the District Attorney’s Office.”
This case is still an active investigation, and the Santa Barbara Police Department is asking that anyone with information pertaining to this case contact Traffic Investigator Edward Kasper at (805) 897-3719 or ekasper@sbpd.com.
