Arrest Made In Hit-And-Run That Killed Stockton Police Employee
STOCKTON (CBS13) – Investigators say they have arrested the driver suspected fatally hitting a Stockton Police Department employee and then fleeing the scene.
The man, 57-year-old Sergio Meraz Chavira, was taken into custody late Christmas night, police say. He is facing felony hit-and-run charges for the Dec. 23 incident that took retired officer Jimmy Pendergrass' life.
Police say security guards spotted Chavira's van near Sonora and Harrison Street. Once officers responded to the scene, Chavira was found asleep in the van.
"Our department can now begin to heal and the Pendergrass family can have some closure knowing that a suspect is in custody and behind bars," said Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones in a statement.
Pendergrass, who was 70-years-old, had been working as a part-time background investigator.
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