Police: DUI driver rammed bicyclist through block wall, fled scene

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 | 7:30 p.m.

A man in a pickup truck is accused of ramming a bicyclist on a sidewalk through a residential cinder-block wall and leaving the scene without calling 911 or tending to the critically injured victim, according to a Metro Police arrest report.

Officers who responded to the crash about 8:45 p.m. Sunday on Torrey Pines Drive near Charleston Boulevard found Jeremy Chad Clark, 42, severely injured in the backyard, his bicycle underneath the truck, a case of beer in the truck and an empty Modelo in the 2001 Ford F-250’s cup holder, the report said.

Luis Antonio Aguilar-Lujan, 43, abandoned the truck and was seen running from the crash, police said. He was arrested at his house, just a few blocks from the scene.

He was booked at the Clark County Detention Center on counts of duty to stop at the scene of an accident and suspicion of DUI after he failed multiple sobriety tests, police said.

An investigation determined that Aguilar-Lujan was southbound on Torrey Pines when he swerved, hit a sidewalk, overcorrected, lost control of the truck and eventually struck Clark, who had seen the truck and was trying to avoid it, police said.

Clark, who was identified by the Clark County Coroner’s Office today, died at University Medical Center a short time after arrival, police said.

The search for Aguilar-Lujan began immediately, according to the report. Officers were stationed outside his house waiting for him. Eventually, he arrived and entered the home, where he was apprehended.

About an hour after the crash, officers drove Aguilar-Lujan to the scene of the crash, which he admitted to causing, police said. His eyes were bloodshot, his breath smelled of alcohol and there was physical evidence to his body that indicated he had been in a crash, police said.

This wasn't the first time Aguilar-Lujan has been investigated by Metro as a suspect in a crime that involved driving, according to court records.

"Give me the weed"

In 2010, Aguilar-Lujan was convicted and sentenced to prison time in an incident in which he drove a small SUV while the codefendant in the case, Rodolfo Sanchez, tried to kidnap three children, according to court records.

Metro was called about 8 p.m. April 23, 2010, to the area of Charleston Boulevard and Bruce Street.

Aguilar-Lujan was driving a dark-color "Blazer-type" vehicle with Mexican plates. The children — ages 6, 10, 12 — had exited their father's vehicle when the SUV drove by and Sanchez pulled a girl by her clothes. She yelled, her brother came to the rescue, Sanchez pushed the girl to the ground and grabbed the brother instead in a "bear hug." Both siblings were able to escape and Sanchez grabbed the third boy, police said.

Sanchez, who was telling the child, "give me the weed. Give me the weed," tripped as he pulled the child toward the SUV, Aguilar-Lujan told him to "leave them alone and just get in the car" about the same time the children's father had come to confront Sanchez, police said.

As they drove away, Sanchez told the father that they would return for the children, police said.

The pair, arrested near Charleston and Fremont Street, were identified by the victims in a photo lineup, police said.

The men denied the allegation, police said. Court records show that Aguilar-Lujan was charged with one count each of felony conspiracy to commit a crime, kidnapping in the first degree and kidnap with use of a deadly weapon.

In July 2010, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and sentenced to serve 12 to 30 months in prison with 90 days credit for time served, records show.

In December of that year, Sanchez, who was charged with seven felonies, pleaded guilty to attempted battery with substantial bodily harm, and sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison, records show.

Aguilar-Lujan has a court hearing for the DUI case on Sept. 21, jail records show. No bail has been set.