The man accused of intentionally crashing his car into a man on a motorcycle and killing him was supposed to face a judge on Thursday until a last-minute change.
Ulysses Jimenez, 22, is accused of killing the motorcycle rider on Interstate 805 on Monday. Witnesses recorded video of him walking away barefoot.
Jimenez was set to be formally charged with murder Thursday afternoon but he refused to come out of his cell. He also faces a misdemeanor hit-and-run because investigators say he hit a truck with six people inside.
His hearing has been postponed until Monday afternoon.
A man accused of intentionally hitting and killing a motorcyclist at high speed with his Tesla on Interstate 805 now faces a murder charge. NBC 7’s Dana Williams was in court in the South Bay, where an arraignment was supposed to happen.
The victim in the crash was 52-year-old Jorge Uribe Villalobos of Chula Vista. He was a motorcycle enthusiast and was on his way back from a rally in Plain, Washington, when he was hit and killed.
At the popular motorcycle spot in Playas de Tijuana, friends of Villalobos gathered to remember their fellow rider. Before Thursday night’s event, close friend Marco Salgado shared some of his favorite memories of him.
“He’s very generous, loving and caring person,” Salgado told NBC 7.
Salgado says Villalobos was a husband and a father to a teenage son and infant daughter. He was an avid motorcycle rider for more then 10 years. The two met at a rally and became fast friends.
Last Monday afternoon, Villalobos texted Salgado to let him know he was almost home.
“That same day you had a chat conversation, and all of the sudden, that loved one doesn’t get home. It tears you apart,“ Salgado said.
California Highway Patrol investigators say Jimenez was driving a red Tesla at a high rate of speed and rear-ended Villalobos’ new BMW motorcycle. Investigators say it was intentional, not an accident. Villalobos died at the scene on I-805 at Telegraph Canyon Road.
“I’m a very strong guy, but as soon as I got the news, I couldn’t stop crying,“ Salgado said.
CHP says that while he hasn’t yet been charged with it, it is investigating whether Jimenez was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash and also whether this was the result of road rage.
“I know him so well that he could not have provoked that accident,” Salgado said.
The loss weighs heavy on the hearts of fellow riders. The nights’ rally was as much a support group as a memorial.
“This community is going to get together to honor him, to remember him, and at the same time, get together to embrace ourselves and say, ‘Hey, you are not alone,'” Salgado said.
Because Jimenez refused to come out of his cell, Thursday’s hearing was rescheduled for Monday.
