Christopher Perez: Oakland man charged with murder in death of 73-year-old woman in hit-and-run incident
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: A 19-year-old Oakland man is facing murder charges for killing a 73-year-old woman in a hit-and-run incident last summer. According to the authorities, Christopher Perez is accused of killing grandmother Santu Maya after crashing into the victim as she crossed the street with her family in Oakland on the evening of June 16, The Mercury News and KTVU FOX 2 reported at the time.
The suspect was charged in January with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, court records revealed, The Mercury News reported on Tuesday, February 27.
Christopher Perez pleaded not guilty at an arraignment
The records reportedly state that Perez pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on February 15. He was released on a $95,000 bail under the requirement of wearing a GPS ankle monitor. Maya had immigrated to the US to the San Francisco Bay Area from Thailand four months before her death.
The grandmother had been going for her daily walk before dinner at Foothill Boulevard and Vicksburg Avenue in Oakland when Perez crashed into her on a crosswalk while driving a Mercedes-Benz. The victim’s daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter were present at the time of the crash.
The grandmother was sent to the hospital after suffering a severe head injury. She later died from her injuries, according to authorities.
What did the victim Santu Maya's daughter say?
"It's really painful," the victim's daughter tearfully told KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco following the incident in June, adding "So please help me to make justice for my mom. I want that." Perez was later identified as a suspect in the crash after being caught on surveillance cameras within the area following the hit-and-run, police added.
The suspect will next appear in court on April 4, according to court records obtained by The Mercury News.
Louisiana boy, seven, fatally hit by truck while chasing ball in parking lot
Meaww previously reported that a seven-year-old boy, Kaidan Coke, died after being tragically struck by a truck in a private parking lot on Saturday, February 24. The accident prompted an immediate response from troopers of Louisiana State Police Troop G, who initiated an investigation into the single-vehicle fatality crash involving the young pedestrian.
The incident occurred shortly after 11.30 am in the 1300 block of School Street, setting the stage for a thorough examination by authorities. The preliminary findings indicated that Kaidan was playing with a ball within the confines of the private parking lot when the child lost control of the ball, which rolled underneath a backed-in 2011 Dodge Ram.
Unbeknown to the driver, the child had crawled underneath the truck to retrieve his ball, leading to the tragic collision as he tried to pull out of the parking space, according to KSLA. Despite the prompt response by the Bienville Parish Coroner's Office, Kaidan was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the 2011 Dodge Ram emerged unscathed from the incident, and while impairment wasn't suspected, routine toxicology samples were collected for further analysis.
