The Turlock Journal: Turlock man wanted for intentionally mowing down bicyclist
By Sabra Stafford
Crime Desk
sstafford@turlockjournal.com
209-634-9141, ext. 2002
POSTED Dec. 15, 2009 11:42 p.m.
Turlock police are seeking a man who they say intentionally ran down a bicyclist with his truck and then waved a handgun around when witnesses tried to detain him.
The bicyclist, a 35-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital and is in critical but stable condition, said Turlock Police Investigations Sgt. Russell Holeman.
The driver of the pick-up is wanted for attempted homicide charges, Holeman said.
The incident began around 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the area of Jessica and G streets. According to the witnesses statements, a white pick-up truck came southbound on Jessica and “intentionally swerved” to strike the bicyclist, Holeman said.
The witnesses estimated the truck was going about 25 mph when it struck the bicyclist. The impact threw him from his bike, which was dragged behind the truck for a couple hundred yards, Holeman said.
The driver of the truck continued on down the street, stopped at a residence and got out of the vehicle. Several of the witnesses followed the vehicle and were trying to detain the driver until the police arrived, with a few even hurling some rocks at it, Holeman said.
At this point the suspect pulled out a gun and raised it in the air, Holeman said. The witnesses backed off and the man drove away. He was last seen southbound on South First Street.
The victim was able to tell police that it was a white truck that struck him and that the driver went by the street name of “Nacho.”
Investigators are seeking a man by the name of Tobias Lucatero in connection with the assault. His last known address was on G Street. He is described as a Hispanic man about 40 to 45 years old. He is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
The truck that was involved is a white 1998 Ford F150 with a license plate number of 8M76422.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Sgt. Russell Holeman at 668-5550 ext. 6622 or Crime Stoppers at 521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
