Arrest made in fatal hit and run of a cyclist
By City News Service and R. Stickney, NBC San Diego (www.nbcsandiego.com)
A 19-year-old San Diego man is now in custody on suspicion of felony hit-and-run in connection with the death of a cyclist in Rancho Santa Fe, authorities said.
Jin Hyuk Byun was arrested Sunday night, July 8, in connection with the death in the early morning last Friday, July 6, of 18-year-old Angel Bojorquez of Escondido, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Parent.
Bojorquez, a grocery store clerk at Albertsons in Del Mar, was found dead in shrubbery alongside a winding stretch of Via De La Valle around 2 a.m. Friday, July 6, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office reported, noting he was struck while riding his bicycle home from work.
Investigators determined Bojorquez was traveling northbound, south of Paseo Delicias, when a northbound motorist drifted onto the right shoulder and struck Bojorquez about an hour before his body was discovered, Parent said.
Citing evidence found at the scene, the CHP later released a description of damage believed to have been caused to the vehicle that struck Bojorquez.
Parent said a neighbor of Byun’s saw damage to his black 2008 Chevy Avalanche on Sunday, July 8, and reported it.
When a CHP officer went to Byun’s home, he refused to cooperate, prompting investigators to obtain a search warrant, Parent said. After officers served the warrant, Buyn confessed to being involved, investigators said.
Bojorquez’s mountain bike had no light on it but authorities said he was wearing a reflective vest.
Byun was booked into the Vista jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, July 10, according to jail records.
Bojorquez’s family said the teen normally drove to work with his brother, who also works at the Albertsons grocery store in Del Mar.
But on Thursday night, the brothers had conflicting work schedules, according to the family.
Bojorquez took his bike for the approximately 20-mile ride on the back roads from Del Mar to his home in Escondido. His family said it was the first time he had ever attempted the bicycling trek.
Lilia Rodriguez, external communications field manager for Albertsons, released the following statement the day after the accident:
“Last night, a tragic accident occurred involving one of our store associates. All of us at Albertsons are saddened by this loss and we extend our deepest sympathy to the associate’s family. We are working to provide support to store associates in light of this incident and also ask that the privacy of our associates be respected during this extraordinarily difficult time.”