Our suspect was arrested for Attempted Homicide after our investigation showed he intentionally ran down a bicyclist in a case of mistaken identity. Witnesses also reported that the driver of the suspect truck was wearing a rubber clown mask when he ran down the bicyclist.
The suspect is Jeremy Lee Anecito - 28 years old from the live Oak area of Santa Cruz
The collision occurred last Wednesday, September 24th at about 8:45 AM. Witnesses told us the suspect intentionally accelerated and swerved to strike the bicyclist. Turns out, Mr. Anecito was looking to exact some revenge, but......he mistook this bicyclist for someone with whom he has an ongoing dispute. (After reading that, did you find yourself saying, "WOW")
The collision occurred as the truck was traveling eastbound on Soquel Avenue crossing the San Lorenzo River Bridge. The bicyclist was traveling eastbound along the westbound lanes (against the flow of traffic). Witnesses reported that the pickup truck accelerated to the point of squealing tires and driving on the wrong side of the road to hit the bicyclist.
Outstanding detective work eventually led to the
discovery of the truck and then the driver.
On October 1st, the truck was
discovered in the parking garage for the Saint George Hotel. The truck was impounded for evidence and will
be processed next week. The truck is a green
1995 Chevy pickup truck. The truck had damage consistent with the collision on the right rear.
And yes, there
is actually a clown mask still in the truck.
Mr. Anecito was found in a room at the
Saint George. He has a history of arrests with our
department.
Evidence and information in the case, including limited admissions by Mr. Anectio led to the charge of Attempted Homicide as this was clearly an intentional act. Here is the damage to the bicycle:
Evidence and information in the case, including limited admissions by Mr. Anectio led to the charge of Attempted Homicide as this was clearly an intentional act. Here is the damage to the bicycle:
The bicyclist is a 39 year old transient from Santa
Cruz. He too has a history of
contacts and arrests with law enforcement.
The bicyclist sustained injuries that were initially life-threatening, so he was airlifted to a
Bay Area trauma center, where he is expected to recover.
