Ventura County prosecutors have charged a Santa Paula teenager whose car allegedly rear-ended a man's pickup truck with vehicular manslaughter, the result of an apparent freeway race in December.
Genaro Mejia, 19, was arrested Tuesday evening in connection with the death of 65-year-old Jose Zermeno, also of Santa Paula, who had just attended his grandchild's Christmas program when Mejia's black Chevy Malibu slammed into his red pickup on California 126 as he was driving home, authorities said.
Mejia, who received minor injuries in the crash, posted $50,000 bail. He is set for arraignment May 28 on charges of vehicular manslaughter, reckless causing of injury and engaging in an illegal speed contest. The maximum potential sentence is six years in prison, the minimum is probation. Mejia could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
"Basically, it was a road race situation, and he lost control and ran into the car in front of him," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Bill Redmond. "It appears these two individuals were racing, swerving between cars.
"We've had a rash of these road race incidents," Redmond said. "It's like a James Dean movie. People don't realize that their car is a potential problem. If you lose control, how do you stop?"
A second youth allegedly involved in the race, 18-year-old Emmanuel Rico, has not been charged and is a potential witness in the case, Redmond said.
Members of Zermeno's family expressed little relief from the filing of charges in the death of the 40-year Santa Paula resident -- a one-time disc jockey, sales manager at a car dealership and, most recently, custodian for the Santa Paula Elementary School District.
"There should be consequences for what they did, but it doesn't bring him back," said Sheriff's Sgt. Ralph Zermeno, 49, the victim's youngest brother.
Delfina Zermeno said her husband's death is still too recent for her to take comfort in Mejia's prosecution.
"Right now, I'm just really sad about the loss of my husband," said Delfina, an Oxnard teacher. "He was a good father and grandfather. He has three daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter and another one on the way."
The December accident is one of three in Ventura County during the last 13 months in which an alleged street race resulted in injury or death.
Last month, a drag racer allegedly speeding at more than 80 mph on an Oxnard street caused a crash that injured three people.
