Police have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter after allegedly participating in an illegal street race in San Bernardino County that resulted in the death of a teenager, authorities announced Monday.
Investigators said Jose Perez Villaferte, of Fontana, was driving a gray Ford Mustang when he approached a white Ford Mustang that was stopped at the intersection of Cactus Avenue and San Bernardino Avenue. It turned out that.
Initial findings indicate that both Mustangs were engaged in an illegal street race southbound on Cactus Avenue.
The cars were racing at what police described only as “high speeds” when the driver of the white Mustang, 19-year-old Marquez Mena of Rialto, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. .
According to the Rialto Police Department, officers responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash in the 1400 block of South Cactus Avenue around 10:35 p.m. Sunday.
Firefighters arrived shortly afterward and found Mena with fatal injuries, and paramedics pronounced him dead at 10:45 p.m.
Two other passengers in the Mustang were taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Rialto police said officers found Perez-Villaferte and took him into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.
“The investigation is ongoing, but it does not appear that alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash,” police said in a statement.
Officers booked Perez-Villaferte into the San Bernardino County Jail on $60,000 bail.
As authorities continue to investigate, the department is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Traffic Sergeant Dan Smith at 909-644-6025.
Witnesses can also report information anonymously through WeTip (800-782-7463, reference case #932413365).
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