Hit-and-run driver kills two in neighborhood north of Temecula

By: DEIRDRE NEWMAN - Staff Writer | Saturday, July 23, 2005 10:27 PM PDT ∞

TEMECULA ---- A family gathering turned tragic Saturday when two guests were killed in a hit-and-run accident in a neighborhood north of Temecula. The suspect was later caught on Winchester Road near Chaparral High School.

The crash happened at 4:20 p.m. in the Bella Vista neighborhood in an unincorporated part of the county. An adult woman and a 12-year-old boy died as a result, said Officer Ron Thatcher with the California Highway Patrol.

The driver, Joseph Anthony Barrientos, 25, of French Valley, was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and felony driving under the influence, Thatcher said.

The two victims and another child were standing outside the Toyota Rav4 they had arrived in on Magnolia Point, near the Autumn Woods intersection, unloading items for the gathering, said Officer Rigoberto Garcia with the Highway Patrol. A Ford F-150 pickup came speeding around the corner and hit the people and the rear door of the Rav4, Garcia said. The truck ended up on the front lawn.

Barrientos allegedly proceeded to back out over one of the victims and fled, Garcia said. His license plate was ripped from his vehicle and landed on the front lawn, enabling officers to track him down.

Officers with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department rushed to the suspect's house in Menifee. The truck involved in the crash was parked at the residence, said traffic Officer Alan Calico of the Highway Patrol. As officers arrived, a green Thunderbird left the residence and a pursuit ensued, Calico said. Spike strips were used to flatten the car's tires.

As the vehicle continued on Winchester Road, officers jammed the left front of a patrol car into the right rear of the Thunderbird, which finally stopped, Calico said. The Thunderbird turned out to have been a neighbor's car that Barrientos allegedly carjacked, Thatcher said. Passengers in the Thunderbird were released early on in the chase, around Interstate 215 and Scott Road, Thatcher said. The number of passengers hasn't yet been determined.

At the scene of the alleged hit-and-run, items from the Toyota, such as a blood-stained blanket, a wide-brimmed hat and socks, were strewn on the front lawn.

The victims had been the last guests to arrive at the party and some children were waiting across the street to greet them, said a volunteer with the Trauma Intervention Program, who declined to disclose her name. Family members who hosted the gathering declined to comment.

One neighbor said he saw Barrientos flee the scene and later identified him after the car chase. Duke Good, who has lived in the Bella Vista neighborhood for 2 1/2 years, said he was working in his garage when he heard the screech of tires through his garage windows. He saw the truck stopped on the front lawn and the victims lying nearby, he said. As he exited his garage, Good said he saw Barrientos start to back up his truck.

Good said he ran over to the passenger-side window and yelled, "Don't you leave here." The driver responded with a blank look, "like there was no concern," Good said.

Speeding is a problem in his neighborhood, especially during the evening and on weekends, Good said.

The victims' names had not been released, pending notification of family.

Staff writer John Hall contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Deirdre Newman at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2623, or dnewman@californian.com.