Man sentenced for pursuit fatality, other crimes
A Lancaster man was sentenced Monday to 12 years in a state prison for a string of crimes that included the death of a bicyclist during a pursuit near Camarillo.
Makare Darnell Toliver, 21, had pleaded guilty in November to assault with a semiautomatic firearm, second degree robbery, grand theft of a firearm, evading an officer causing death and fleeing the scene of an accident involving death, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office reported. He also admitted to several special allegations that bring heavier sentences, including use of a firearm and that the crime involved great violence.
The incident took place July 27, when Toliver approached a man sitting in a Camarillo motel parking lot, opened the vehicle door and pointed a loaded gun at the victim, who was in the driver’s seat, the DA’s office said in a news release. Toliver stole the man’s cash, cell phone and a bag with a handgun inside. He fled in a red Mazda.
Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies soon saw the Mazda in Camarillo and attempted a traffic stop. Toliver, who had a passenger in the Mazda, briefly pulled over before fleeing. During the subsequent pursuit along Central Avenue, where speeds exceeded 100 mph, Toliver swerved into the bike lane to pass another vehicle.
The Mazda hit cyclist Robert Pierret, 58, of Ventura, who later died at Ventura County Medical Center.
Toliver continued driving, crashing into a vehicle on Central before losing control, crossing into oncoming traffic and hitting another vehicle nearly head-on, according to prosecutors.
“The Pierret family endured an unfathomable loss due to the defendant’s selfish and reckless actions,” said Senior Deputy DA Stephanie Leija in a statement. “While no sentence can ever undue that loss, I hope the judge’s sentence will provide the Pierret family with the closure they deserve.”
Stabbing suspect arrested in Fillmore
After a manhunt Monday night in Fillmore, Ventura County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a man suspected in an earlier stabbing, authorities said.
The incident was reported shortly before 9 p.m. near the Fillmore Historical Museum in the 300 block of Main Street, according to the sheriff’s office, which is contracted to provide police services in Fillmore.
The victim, a 47-year-old Fillmore man, was reportedly confronted on the sidewalk by the suspect and two other males. During the incident, the 33-year-old suspect, a Fillmore resident, allegedly stabbed the victim with some type of edge weapon, said Detective Dustin Heersche.
The victim was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Heersche said.
The three suspects fled on foot. Fillmore patrol deputies identified the 33-year-old as the one who stabbed the victim, officials said in a news release. He was described as a documented gang member on active parole.
A manhunt was launched. After several hours, the suspect was found at a nearby residence. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and booked into county jail, where he was not eligible for release, jail records showed.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Man sentenced for pursuit fatality, more news