Edhat Staff
A Santa Barbara man has been arrested in connection to a fatal hit and run that killed 39-year-old Juan Lopez on June 29.
The collision took place around 11:38 p.m. in the 800 block of Cliff Drive near Loma Alta. Santa Barbara Police dispatch received a 9-1-1 call about an injured pedestrian lying on the road.
When officers arrived on scene, it appeared Lopez had been struck by a vehicle, and the vehicle fled the scene. Lopez passed away from the injuries he sustained from the collision.
After days of investigative teamwork by Santa Barbara Police Traffic Investigators and Detectives identified and located the vehicle involved in the collision.
Further investigation led to the identification of the individual driving the vehicle as 55-year-old Brock Alexander Hoffman, a Santa Barbara resident.
Hoffman surrendered himself to police on July 4, 2024 at the Santa Barbara Police Department, where he was subsequently arrested around 10:00 a.m.
Hoffman was booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail for felony hit and run, resulting in death and misdemeanor concealing evidence. His bail was set at $50,000.
This is still an active investigation, and the Santa Barbara Police Department requests that anyone with information about this case contact Traffic Investigator Kasper at 805-897-3719.
A GoFundMe online fundraiser has been set up to help support Lopez’s family and cover funeral costs.
“On the night of Saturday June 29th, life as we knew it changed forever when someone hit Juan with a car and left him lying in the road like he was nothing,” the fundraiser stats. “Juan in fact was somebody, he was the man I spent 21 years with and raised our 3 kids with, he was a father, a grandfather , a son ,a brother , an uncle , a friend and a manager at the Santa Barbara Vons.”
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The penalty for hit and run should be equal to or greater than that for DUI. Take away the incentive to leave the scene. RIP Juan, you deserved to be helped and not abandoned in your last moments.
It is.
It isn’t if he stayed and was found dui he’d face about 20+ years, hit and run maybe 3 years. Hence the low bail
Punishment for hit and run – when you have a good lawyer is minimal. It should be as harsh as murder – because for someone to drive off after hitting someone, either he was drunk and was afraid of a DUI, or he just didn’t give a shit about the life of the guy he hit. Even if he was just trying to avoid a DUI – he could have called for help anonymously or turned himself in after sobering up. The guy must not have a soul – just pure evil.
So sad. RIP
https://www.noozhawk.com/juan-lopez-victim-of-hit-and-run-on-cliff-drive-remembered-as-humble-caring-father-of-3/
This is so sad.