Sheriff’s Office Releases Name of Victim in Fatal Hit-and-Run in Goleta

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released the name of the man who was struck and killed in the alleged hit-and-run incident that occurred on Storke Road in Goleta around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20.

According to Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, the victim was Ruben Reyes Victoria, 29, of Goleta, who was working as a landscape maintenance worker at the time of the incident. 

“Ruben was not only a cherished member of our community but also a dedicated provider for his family in Puebla, Mexico,” reads a GoFundMe page set up to help cover funeral expenses. “The Reyes family was already facing the challenges of living in a foreign country, and this unexpected loss has left them in an incredibly difficult situation.”

According to family, he leaves behind a grieving wife and two young children, ages 10 and 6.

According to authorities, Victoria was struck on the southbound side of Storke Road near Bollay Drive by David Rousso, 19, of Goleta, who then fled the scene until he was later found and identified at the 400 block of Storke Road, where, according to Zick, “he was detained, positively identified, and subsequently arrested.”

Rousso is currently in custody at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail. His charges have not yet been announced, but according to county records, his bail has been set at $50,000. Rousso is scheduled to appear in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Monday, September 25, according to Johanne Calfo with the District Attorney’s Office.

While the investigation is ongoing, authorities do not believe that drugs and alcohol were a factor in the collision.