A motorist accused of intentionally running over and killing a 46-year-old bicyclist on a Riverside street must stand trial for murder and other charges, a judge ruled Thursday.
Sergio Reynaldo Gutierrez, 32, of Riverside allegedly killed Benedicto Solanga, also of Riverside, last July.
Following a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on the murder count, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon — the defendant’s pickup truck — in the commission of a felony.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for April 1 and left Gutierrez’s bail set at $1 million. He’s being held at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, on the afternoon of July 29, the defendant was driving his Ford F-250 on Market Street, near the Pomona (60) Freeway underpass, when he encountered Solanga on his bicycle going in the opposite direction.
Railsback said there was an unspecified “interaction” between the defendant and victim, possibly traffic-related, after which Solanga resumed riding his bike.
“(Gutierrez) made a U-turn and struck the victim, causing him to be seriously injured,” the police spokesman said, further alleging that the defendant fled.
Solanga was hospitalized, but he died three days later as a result of the impact, according to Railsback.
He said that detectives spent the ensuing three weeks attempting to identify the pickup driver and ultimately confirmed that it was allegedly Gutierrez.
He was taken into custody without incident on Aug. 17 along Sir Bedivere Drive.
Gutierrez has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.