Fresno man sentenced in fatal taco truck crash

FRESNO – Last Wednesday, June 12, Rolando Enrique Alvarenga-Aguilar, 48, of Fresno, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the crimes of murder, driving under the influence causing injury and hit-and-run for his role in killing him. driver in fatal accident on October 9, 2021.

The accident claimed the life of Sabas Ruiz-Galavez, 60, and injured another person. Alvarenga-Aguilar's sentence was handed down by Fresno County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey D. Wilson after he pleaded no contest to the charges last month.

On October 9, 2021, Alvarenga-Aguilar was driving his pickup truck into a parking lot at the intersection of Maple and Belmont in Fresno. As he approached a taco truck in his van, Alvarenga-Aguilar suddenly accelerated his vehicle, striking a person sitting at a table and pinning Ruiz-Galavez between Alvarenga-Aguilar's van and the truck at Tacos. Alvarenga-Aguilar then fled, leaving the victims behind and fleeing to a nearby neighborhood where he was later found by Fresno Police officers.

During the investigation, it was determined that Alvarenga-Aguilar had a blood alcohol content of 0.20 percent, which is two and a half times the legal limit for operating a vehicle. After the accident, Ruiz-Galavez was admitted to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on October 18, 2021.

Alvarenga-Aguilar has a criminal history that includes convictions for theft, domestic violence, and two prior convictions for driving under the influence in 2018 and 2019. Alvarenga-Aguilar was still on probation for the 2019 drunk driving conviction at the time of his fatal accident.

The Fresno County Prosecutor's Office thanks the Fresno Police Department for their investigative work and dedication to the case. This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Steven Ueltzen, with assistance from District Attorney Lead Investigator Ronnie Sims. The case was prosecuted under the Vertical Prosecution Program for Alcohol and Drug Impaired Drivers. Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.