Man sentenced for hit-and-run crash that killed Foster Farms employee in Reedley

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A household remembered their loved 1 arsenic the antheral charged with a deadly hit-and-run learned his situation condemnation connected Wednesday.

Melecio Ayala-Hernandez volition walk 3 years successful situation for a hit-and-run that killed Jose Aguilera.

The unfortunate was 25 and a begetter of two. His household was flooded with emotion successful court.

"I could ever number connected my brother. He was ever determination for me. He was 1 of the astir important radical successful my life. He was my champion friend, not conscionable my brother," said Maria Najera, Aguilera's brother.

"You took a begetter from his children. You took a sibling and an uncle from my kids. You broke us."

Prosecutors accidental Ayala-Hernandez was down the instrumentality of a stolen motortruck erstwhile helium plowed into Aguilera and left.

It happened wherever some men worked astatine Foster Farms successful Reedley past August.

Although Aguilera died, prosecutors didn't complaint Ayala-Hernandez with homicide.

Instead, helium pleaded nary contention to having a stolen motortruck and leaving the scene.

But his attorney, Taylor Pittman, says Ayala-Hernandez near to find assistance connected the freeway.

"This serviceman is stopped for thing wholly unrelated, helping idiosyncratic other connected the freeway. And Mr. Ayala-Hernandez stops and says, 'I person to archer you what happened. I deed somebody,'" said Pittman.

It's unclear precisely what happened due to the fact that the lawsuit ne'er went to trial.

The justice called the facts, quote, "strange," and raised his ain questions.

"The circumstances surrounding the incidental present led maine to judge determination whitethorn person been different things going on," said the judge.

Through it all, Ayala-Hernandez sat softly successful court.

A translator interpreted the proceeding for him, adjacent arsenic the victim's household members delivered harsh words.

"Do you cognize that you are much than a killer? You are besides a thief. You stole my brother's life," Najera told Ayala-Hernandez.

Ayala-Hernandez already has recognition for much than fractional of his three-year sentence.

He'll present service the remainder of it astatine a authorities prison.

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