Samuel Matthew Rocha (DOB 01/25/93), of Port Hueneme, was charged with one count of murder and four counts of attempted murder, which occurred during the evening of April 19, 2021, in Port Hueneme. The complaint charged five special allegations that Rocha personally used his vehicle as a deadly weapon and two special allegations that he personally inflicted great bodily injury. Rocha was also charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of battery for an incident in Oxnard approximately 10 minutes before the murder and attempted murders.
On April 19, 2021, at approximately 9:38 p.m., the Port Hueneme Police Department was dispatched to an injury hit-and-run traffic collision that had occurred at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road and Ventura Road. Witnesses stated several teenage male bicyclists had been struck by a suspect driving a gold-colored Lexus sedan, which fled the scene. Subsequent investigation revealed that Rocha was the driver of that vehicle and that he had intentionally driven his vehicle into the bicyclists, killing a 16-year-old and injuring four additional minors. Approximately 10 minutes earlier in Oxnard, Rocha had battered a male and female at a laundromat and then struck an employee with his vehicle as Rocha was leaving the parking lot of that business.
Rocha appeared in court today for arraignment and plead not guilty to the charges and allegations. The case was continued to June 3, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County.
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