Couple arrested in hit-and-run that killed father of 5 in Santa Ana, police say

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Monday, March 27, 2017
Couple arrested in hit-and-run that killed father of 5 in OC
Police on Monday, March 27, 2017, announced the arrest of a husband and wife in connection with a fatal Santa Ana hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A husband and wife have been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a father of five who was riding his motorcycle in Santa Ana earlier this month, authorities announced Monday.

Luis Eduardo Distancia, 46, was in custody after turning himself in to Santa Ana Police Department jail staff, the agency said. He was booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

Distancia's wife, Alma Rosa Nave, was arrested for allegedly being an accessory after the fact, according to police.

The couple is suspected in the death of motorcyclist Eduardo Estrada, 36, who died at a hospital after being struck by a van on March 17.

Angela de la Riva is shown in a photo with her husband and family alongside another image of her speaking out on Monday, March 20, 2017, after her husband's death.
KABC

The collision occurred about 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of Standard Avenue and Walnut Street, where surveillance video shows a white Ford utility van failing to yield while making a left turn.

In the footage, Estrada attempts to brake in time but comes up on his front tire before slamming into the van's right-front panel.

The driver of the van "didn't even slow down," police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said later that evening.

"It obviously would've made a loud bang," the corporal said. "Why he didn't stop, I don't understand. He left this individual laying in the street."

If not for the crash, Estrada would have arrived home within minutes after passing through the intersection, detectives said.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help pay for Estrada's funeral expenses.

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