A Carson man who police say was behind the wheel of a truck when it collided with an SUV doing street stunts last week at an intersection in West Long Beach has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, according to authorities.
Noe Jose Menjivar, 20, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon at his home in the 21900 block of Martin Street in Carson after the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office decided to file charges against him for his role in the crash, according to authorities. It comes just days after detectives secured a $50,000 warrant for his arrest, court records show.
Though it wasn’t immediately clear why the DA’s Office decided to file charges against Menjivar, he is now the second person arrested in connection the June 16 hit-and-run crash that killed 21-year-old Jacqueline Zamarripa.
Saul Alfas, a 20-year-old Carson resident who was involved in the crash but fled the scene, turned himself over to authorities last week and has since pleaded not guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He remains jailed in lieu of $50,000, inmate records show, and he faces additional court hearings later this month.
Authorities say Alfas was doing “donuts” at the intersection of Willow Street and Caspian Avenue, when he struck a truck containing Menjivar and Zamarripa as it was approaching the intersection just before 11 p.m.
The collision made Menjivar lose control of the truck, causing it to crash into a nearby tree, according to police. Zamarripa, meanwhile, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Menjivar stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, according to police, though he wasn’t taken into custody then. At the time, authorities said speed and distracted driving were possible factors in the crash.