His loved ones are devastated after a 19-year-old nursing student is killed on suspicion of a DUI driver in San Bernardino County.
Larenz Vonden pursued his passion and was two months away from graduating and becoming a licensed professional nurse.
Larenz’s family said working in health care was his dream and inspired by his own lifelong battle with sickle cell disease.
Larenz Fonden, 19, can be seen in a family photo. Larenz Fonden, 19, can be seen in a family photo. We filmed the moment when a suspected speeding DUI driver was killed for speeding on May 2, 2025 in Colton. Antonio Medrano, 30, of Colton, was arrested at the scene of manslaughter of a Gross vehicle while driving under the influence of the Colton Police Station on May 2, 2025 (Colton Police Station). (KTLA) Family members shared the Larenz Vonden trophy and Academic Awards collection on May 28, 2025. Videos on social media showed the suspect’s car.
On May 2, he was on his way to work in a clinical rotation when he crossed the road near Washington Street and Center Drive before 7am.
Surveillance video captured the moment Larenz, wearing a scrub, crossed the street and was suddenly hit by a speeding driver.
“My son flew 20 feet in the air,” Larenz’s father Wayne Fonden told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “When I went there, it was him. I just cried, I couldn’t do anything. Imagine it belongs to your son or someone else. Pain, what I feel. He took my son’s life.”
Police said Larenz was later hit by multiple cars after the initial impact.
Colton’s 30-year-old driver Antonio Medrano was arrested at the scene on manslaughter of a Gross vehicle while driving without a license while driving under influence.
He was booked on $100,000 bail. Two days later, Medrano was released on bail. After learning that the suspect had gone out on the street again, the victims’ families said they were not infuriated.
“My question is, are you going out on Sunday morning by killing someone on Friday?” Wayne said. “I killed my son when my DUI and licenses were suspended multiple times.”
The suspect, Antonio Medrano, 30, of Colton, was arrested on May 2, 2025 on manslaughter of a Gross vehicle while driving under the influence. 2025.
A spokesman for the Colton Police Department said the crash is under investigation as they await the results of toxicology.
However, almost a month later, the family said they hadn’t received the update yet.
“They said that [the suspect] Felisha Fonden, the victim’s sister, said:
Social media videos showed the suspect’s car looked like a blue and white Dodge Challenger, custom painted.
Court records show that Medrano has a reckless driving history, including previous violations of speeding.
The 19-year-old family said they hope that the suspect will be found guilty and that others will be taken off the streets before they are hurt or killed.
“We want Larenz Fonden’s justice, and that’s what we want,” Wayne said.
“There was nothing bad about him,” said Felisha Fonden, the victim’s mother. “I’m not just saying that because he’s our son. If you’re talking to someone [about him,] You’ll know that. ”
The Fondren family will hold a public event at Cal Skate on the Grand Terrace on June 7th to celebrate what was Lorenz’s 20th birthday.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said they are aware of the case and are waiting for a final report to review before deciding whether to file a claim.
Anyone with information about the case can contact Detective Isabelle Jaramilo at 909-370-5142 or email ijaramillo@coltonca.gov.
Anonymous tips can be provided online at 1-800-782-7463 or at wetip.com.
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