THEY GOT HIM! Follow up to cyclist killed...

[bikerchick68]

Authorites Make Arrest In Hit, Run Case
Man Admits Involvement In Accident

POSTED: 4:55 pm PDT August 25, 2005

SAN DIEGO -- Detectives Thursday arrested a Mira Mesa man who allegedly admitted involvement in a hit-and-run traffic accident that killed a 29-year-old Marine Corps officer bicycling to work on a Miramar-area street.

Jose Luis Cifuentes, 58, confessed Thursday afternoon to being the driver whose vehicle struck USMC Capt. Patrick Klokow in the 7300 block of Kearny Villa Road early Tuesday morning, San Diego police reported.

Cifuentes underwent several interrogations after being pulled over near the scene of the fatal crash in a minivan with a mangled front end.

He initially insisted the damage had occurred in an unrelated freeway accident, SDPD Detective Sgt. Jeff Fellows said.

Klokow, a Santa Clara native and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, was pedaling to the south near State Route 163 about 6 a.m. when a vehicle hit him from behind at high speed. The involved motorist kept driving, leaving the serviceman dying in the roadway, according to investigators.

About four hours later, a motorcycle officer investigating the crash spotted Cifuentes' Mercury Villager traveling along Kearny Villa Road, about a quarter-mile from the scene of the fatality, Fellows said.

Police pulled Cifuentes over, took him into custody and impounded the vehicle, which had a smashed windshield and crumpled hood.

During an initial round of questioning, Cifuentes said his vehicle had been damaged by lumber that fell out of a truck in front of him as he drove near the intersection of Interstate 805 and State Route 52, Fellows said.

Police found no corroboration for that story, the sergeant said, but released him pending the results of forensic tests on the minivan and a lie-detector exam.

At the time of his death, Klokow was on his way to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, where he served as commanding officer of a company that trains military instructors.

In January 2003, Klokow deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, then went to Iraq two months later, serving combat duty until that July.

Klokow, a triathlete, had been stationed at MCRD for about two years.

A 1999 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he was married with no children.

[caligurl]

i'm glad they got the ba.... errrrr well.. you know what i mean!

ok... i have to ask.. was he even "legal"? keep us posted as you hear stuff on the case.. ! i hope they give him the max pumishment!

[AutumnBreez]

NOW<LOCK HIM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY!

Hit and run, what a wieneee.... (ok....b@*^%*d!!)
My condolences to the family of the cyclist, U.S Marine.
No second chances for the victim, no second chance should be given to the criminal! Glad they found him.

[Pedal Wench]

[QUOTE=caligurl
ok... i have to ask.. was he even "legal"? ...[/QUOTE]

Is it ever legal to run down and kill another person? Is that what you meant?

[bcipam]

No this is California... she meant legal resident... We have a real problem here with undocumented, unlicensed and uninsured motorists. Most cannot even read road signs etc. Very tough problem especially down in the SD area...

[Trek420]

I think she means was he legal to drive as in even a licensed driver.

Throw the book at 'im.

[caligurl]

actually... bcipam had my meaning.... is he even in this country legally... it never dawned on me that others wouldn't understand it! guess i've been in california.. land of the illegals... for too long

[bikerchick68]

AudioA... cali meant was he a legal resident... we live an hour from the Mexican border... due to the proximity we have a LOT of illegal aliens here... because they are not here legally they are unlicensed, uninsured and have no training on driving here or what is legal and what isn't... they do have cars and drive in Mexico, but from experience, driving there can be terrifying! It's pretty much whoever can force their way into a lane gets to go...

even sadder is that when they cause an accident they are not held responsible... uninsured and then they deport them and often they hop the border and are back in a couple weeks... there is a recent case where an illegal kept getting deported and hopping back over... he was a gangster... last year during a traffic stop he shot and killed a police officer... they're not deporting him this time.

That's not to say that there aren't American citizens driving illegally too, but there are numerous accidents caused by illegal aliens... as a matter of fact, last year my brother was T-boned by an illegal alien who admitted to police that she did not know how to drive... she took her daughters car without permission because she wanted to go to the store... my brother and nephew, fortunately were OK... his truck and BIKE were not! (Bike was in the back... on their way to mtn bike!)
Cali- I haven't heard if the driver is legal or not... but am sure they will prosecute here this time... since it was a fatality and obviously a felony...

I believe the cyclists wife flew home from Iraq where she was serving immediately.

[Pedal Wench]

Sorry ladies. I"m not used to that type of stereotyping. I didn't recognize it for what it was. Ooops - my bad.

Edit: arghh. I'm not about to defend a murderer, but I hate seeing this stuff. What if one of our dear members is Mexican? What if one of us loves someone of Mexican descent. Let's string up the murderers, but let's not alienate (no pun intended) all people of a certain nationality. Once we disassociate with one group, where do you draw the line? (end rant...)

[caligurl]

if they are in the country... regardless of nationality...they are ILLEGAL and don't belong here... in socal it happens to be mexicans.... in other areas of the country you have other nationalities... illegals are illegals... no matter where they come from... and... if you lived here (in socal)... you'd see what a problem illegals are!

[bikerchick68]

Audio A... I respect and understand your concern... but this is NOT a stereotype... it's just a reality... we have many illegal and undocumented immigrants here... I have no problem with someone being here LEGALLY no matter their nationality... but people who are here illegally I DO have a problem with... it's just my humble opinion that one shouldn't pick and choose which laws should be upheld... illegal is illegal whether it's selling drugs or coming into our country or killing a cyclist and fleeing the scene...

I have MANY friends who are Mexican... and I am bilingual... but there is a real and distinct issue with illegal immigrants driving here... and then not being held accountable for their actions... rather they are deported. Unfortunately our border patrol is beyond overwhelmed. I have spent time in Mexico, and frankly I don't blame any citizen there for wanting to leave... it's pretty sad what the govt has done to the people there... it is a VERY rich country with hard workers... who can't find work due to corrupt leaders... including THEIR police depts!

I hope that alleviates your concern that we are stereotyping... I personally don't hate ANYONE, but I do despise the behaviors of many...

All that being said, the man was in court yesterday for the first time... he is a US citizen... he admitted to hitting the cyclist, fleeing the scene and lying to the police BUT he pled NOT GUILTY!!!?????? They said if he is found guilty of all charges he will face 4 yrs behind bars... FOUR YEARS??? That's IT? Un-freakin-believable!!! That means he would be out in just over 2 yrs with time off for "good behavior"... this is when I really question OUR legal system... how can someone who causes a death by their negligent behavior only serve 4 yrs?

I feel for everyone involved... what a senseless tragedy...

I edited this as there is a follow up article that says Jose Luis Cifuentes is a US citizen living here for 14yrs...

[caligurl]

thanx for stating it better than i did! i re-read what i wrote.. and i was kinda babbling!

i do think that people who live in middle america may not grasp the severity of the situation.....

illegals are a huge pet peeve of mine.... but i won't go into that anymore here since it doesn't pertain... as the driver is obviously here legally....

4 year... *sigh*.... ya... i was afraid of something like that....

[bouncybouncy]

Land of the Free!!!

now we know how it got its name i am with cali and bikerchick here...we have our share of these problems too and when they do not obey "our" (americans as a whole) laws they should expect to do the punishment as an american if they want to live here!!!! but then again if that is his punishment for KILLING a service-man for crying out loud what has this coutry gone to

i do my best to vote, obey, support, and be proud to be an american but this disgusts me and is so discouraging!!!!

what is it we can do???

[caligurl]

i do think that makes it all the worse (if there can really be a "worse" in a situation like this) i'm sure the 2 families (his and hers) thought if they were going to get a call... it would be the chaplain's visiting them for the wife...

and for the wife to have to be told that while over there.... it's not even like she got to kiss him goodbye on his way out the door that morning....

devasting to happen at all.... but just seems even more so in a case like this.....

i'm still galled by the whole 4 years thing.......

[drplasma64]

What was he actually charged with? Vehicular manslaughter?

It is horrible that somebody fled the scene after an accident like that, and lied to the police. However, it's not like he intentionally went out and killed someone. I'm sure he totally panicked. Not that that is an excuse, but still, the penalty shouldn't be the same for causing and panicking after a fatal accident vs. going out and shooting someone in cold blood. And really, this driver is probably less a threat to society than most "criminals" (assuming he's not doing other illegal things).

Just my $0.02