An Ontario man suspected in the hit-and-run death of a man in a wheelchair in Pomona was in custody Tuesday after an anonymous tipster led police to him.
Pomona Police identified 43-year-old Alejandro Ambriz as the driver of the gray 2004 four-door SAAB involved in Sunday night’s crash.
The high-speed crash occurred at 11:12 p.m. Sunday in the 900 block of West Holt Avenue, where the victim, identified by police as 49-year-old Charles Atterbury, was pronounced dead at the scene. Atterbury was homeless and lost a leg when he was hit by a vehicle about two years ago, police said.
Ambriz was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, according to Sgt. Robert DeVee. He was being held in lieu of $1.05 million bail and due in court Wednesday, according to sheriff’s inmate records.
Ambriz obtained the vehicle from his employer, a used car dealership in Ontario, and did not have a valid driver’s licensed at the time of the crash, DeVee said.
Ambriz called a friend to pick him up and recover the vehicle, which was taken to a nearby auto body shop in Montclair where it was being stored, DeVee said. It wasn’t immediately clear if his friend was being investigated.
An anonymous witness came forward after a news broadcast and assisted the officers with some missing details of the investigation, leading to Amriz’ identity and arrest, said DeVee.
—City News Service