A driver was sentenced to 27 years to life in state prison for a crash on the evening of April 19, 2021, near Pleasant Valley Road and Ventura Road in Port Hueneme, California. Prosecutors say the driver struck five of seven bicyclists with a Lexus sedan and left the scene. A 16-year-old was killed and four other minors were injured. A witness followed the car to an apartment complex, where a Port Hueneme Police Department officer made the arrest.
According to KEYT, the defendant, Samuel Matthew Rocha, 33, of Port Hueneme, pleaded guilty in August 2026 to second-degree murder and was earlier convicted by a jury of four counts of assault and two counts of battery. KEYT reports the sentence was 15 years to life for the murder plus 12 years for assault with a deadly weapon. KCLU also reported that the defendant admitted using his vehicle as a deadly weapon. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office provided the case details.
