Roderick Kent Jerro, 53, of Orange, was sentenced on Nov. 2 to 17 years in state prison for a fatal hit-and-run crash after speeding through a red light and killing a 9-year-old boy in a crosswalk. His codefendant, Miguel Villagomez, 29, of Anaheim, was sentenced to four years in state prison on Oct. 12.
Jerro was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 28 of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit and run and permanent injury and death, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Villagomez was found guilty on the same day of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
This is all concerning an incident on Aug. 6, 2015, during which Villagomez was involved in a minor traffic collision with Jerro’s vehicle on Tustin Street and Palm Avenue in Orange and attempted to drive away. Jerro pursued Villagomez’s vehicle.
During this case, both defendants sped northbound through a red light at the intersection of North Glassell Street and Wilson Avenue.
In the intersection, Jerro hit 9-year-old Jesse Rosales as he was crossing the street with his older sister.
Both Jerro and Villagomez failed to stop to render aid or assistance to the victim and the defendants continued to speed away.
Villagomez continued to drive northbound, attempted to make a left turn on West Taft Avenue, and crashed into a brick wall, which disabled his vehicle.
Jerro stopped his vehicle near the site where Villagomez crashed.
Rosales was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Both defendants were arrested a short time later by the Orange Police Department, who investigated this case.
