EastBayDave
Needs a job
Posts: 2245
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posted June 26, 2003 07:01 PM
 Edited By: EastBayDave on 26 Jun 2003 20:05
SJ road rage hit & run driver caught!
From www.mercurynews.com
Posted on Thu, Jun. 26, 2003
San Jose police arrest suspect in the recent "road rage" motorcycle hit and run case
By Roxanne Stites
Mercury News
San Jose police today arrested a man who they say intentionally ran down a motorcyclist earlier this month at up to 55 mph, launching him onto the pavement of a parking lot and paralyzing him from the neck down. (note: the rider is still in critical condition- ebd)
The striking appearance of the suspect's pickup led to the arrest of Rodney Torres, 34, this morning at his San Jose home, five miles from the alleged road-rage accident.
San Jose police knew the characteristics could be key in finding the pickup that allegedly rammed into Tom Castrillon's Harley Davidson on June 2. So they circulated a sketch of the suspect, and a picture of a pickup that looked like his.
It was a white Toyota in ratty condition, with raised wide tires and a beige-colored tailgate. It was this very peculiar description that caught the eye of a citizen.
Last week, somebody called police to report a pickup parked in front of Braxton Drive that looked like the one in police fliers and published in the media.
Detectives had received about 50 other tips of other people and pickups, but noted this one had been altered. The front-end, which police thought may have been damaged form the crash, was freshly painted. And the beige tailgate that set it apart from the white body was removed.
Investigators said the driver of the pickup chased Castrillon into a parking lot (after words were exhanged-ebd) behind the Flames restaurant at Hillsdale and Ross avenues and rammed the back of his motorcycle at an estimated 55 mph. The force of the impact launched Castrillon over the handlebars, and the motorist in the pickup drove away.
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Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
  
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deathpulse
Pro
Posts: 1688
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posted June 26, 2003 09:34 PM
I hope they give him the chair. That is sick. Oh wait... it happened in the peoples republic of kalifornia? GREAT, they will prolly make him a celeb. 
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frEEK
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted June 26, 2003 10:27 PM
what i dont get, is what the fuck was he thinking? did he actually think he'd get away with that? of course, the problem is he wasnt thinking, but come on. fuckin idiots.
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted June 27, 2003 12:59 AM
Edited By: worm~hole on 27 Jun 2003 02:00
...see my thread entitled "...again..." in bikeland...truely a sad day for cops in San Diego...a sobering thought for any motorcyclist out there...
____________
“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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slug
Pro
Out in search of my mind...
Posts: 1433
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posted June 27, 2003 03:23 AM
yeh that's sad folks. i know california gets to pay extra for electricity, but i'll donate the cash for the power bill for that guy....
both of them....
  
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EastBayDave
Needs a job
Posts: 2245
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posted June 27, 2003 05:15 AM
Oh, & I'm sure glad they caught this POS. He was low enough to paint his truck & remove the odd-colored tailgate. He could have killed the guy & then got away with it. Luckily the police passed out flyers w/the 4x4's discription & a police sketch of the driver.
I've been following this one intently; & there was a great grass roots uprising expecially among the HD crowd (he was on a brand new HD.) Every weekend since they have been running searches in the area he was hit; now we find the guy was only 5 miles from home when he hit Tom. I think they would have found him eventually.
Tom (rider) is also a well known guy in SJ as he was a manager of a big hobby store, & raced RC cars. The RC toy community came together also, & they are having a fundraiser race Saturday for Tom (in San Jose), as his insurance apparently is not the best. (You guys in the area should check it out...)
I raced RC cars back in the 70's, so I donated my 1973' US Indy National winning Taurus RC race car (Gary Keyes driver/National Champion in 73'.) I figured maybe a collector would pay something extra for a 30 year old collectable RC car...
The scary part is the 4x4 driver actually got up to 55mph in a strip-mall parking lot (!), shifted into 4-wheel-drive & gassed it over the rider AND bike. Tom has a broken neck & is on life support as we speak. He's still critical & in grave danger. He has a family. Cagers are phking crazy man...
Hip Hip Horray for the cops for getting this guy; the HD guys got connections. I surely hope he becomes "Bubba's" bitch in jail...
....that is; as long as some POS judge gives him more than a slap on the wrist as is typical...
____________
Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
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deathpulse
Pro
Posts: 1688
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posted June 27, 2003 06:23 AM
I hope the person that reported the POS told the cops he was armed and dangerous - maybe he would have come in after "falling down" a few times and getting a bit roughed up.
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wannabe
Pro
Posts: 1931
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posted June 27, 2003 08:05 AM
There's a giant group of local motorcyclists that are waiting for his trial. I think the boy had better hope he gets a life sentence. At this point, prison is going to be a lot safer for him.
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deathpulse
Pro
Posts: 1688
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posted June 27, 2003 09:02 AM
Hey - BTW, in my past two negative posts... I forgot one GOOD thing in all of this...
WAY TO GO SJ POLICE!!!!! FANTASTIC WORK! 
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EastBayDave
Needs a job
Posts: 2245
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posted June 27, 2003 10:21 AM
Edited By: EastBayDave on 27 Jun 2003 11:22
FYI, there is now a donation site set up for Tom's family; he's apparently taken a turn for the worse & he now may not make it.
Anything is helpful, drop a buck in an envelope if you got a few extra, as the family (wife & two young kids) do not have good medical insurance...
Thomas Castrillon Donation Fund
c/o U.S. Bank
750 W. Hamilton Ave.
Campbell, CA
95008
____________
Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
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