Moreno Valley Man Suspected In Fatal Hit-And-Run

LOMA LINDA, CA — A 50-year-old Moreno Valley man suspected in a fatal hit-and-run crash last week in Loma Linda has been released from custody, jail records show.

Marco Antonio Velardez was arrested at his home in the 15300 block of Paseo Cortez at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, August 12, and was released from custody two days later after posting a $30,000 bail bond, according to jail records.

He had been booked on suspicion of hit-and-run with injury and vehicular manslaughter in connection with the early August incident that left a 65-year-old homeless man dead.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Velardez is suspected of striking the victim, who was riding his bicycle west on Redlands Boulevard.

The investigation began around 12:39 a.m. on August 4 when deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Central Station, were dispatched to the area of Redlands Boulevard west of Anderson Street, in Loma Linda, for a report of a hit-and-run.

Deputies found the victim bleeding from his head "after being struck by a passing vehicle," the sheriff's department reported.

The man was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries, according to the sheriff's department.

That suspect vehicle was later identified as a blue Ford SUV driven by Velardez. The sheriff's department did not indicate how investigators tied the crash to Velardez.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detectives Chris Bertetto, Matthew Magdeleno, or Deputy Rene Olivares of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Central Station, at 909-387-3545.