Man faces charges in alleged 75 mph street race that killed two teens
A motorist accused of being involved in an illicit street race that led to a crash that killed two teenagers last month accelerated his car to keep up with the victims’ vehicle, which was traveling about 75 mph, the Metropolitan Police Department alleged in an arrest report.
Jacob Michael Ybarra — Who evaded impact but fled the scene before speaking to police — was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts each of reckless driving causing substantial injuries and failing to stop at a crash site, jail logs show.
Las Vegas Justice Court records show that the 26-year-old suspect was released the following day on high-level monitoring after posting a $100,000 bail. A judge barred him from driving.
The report said Ybarra told Las Vegas police that he hadn’t been racing but driving alongside the teenagers, who wanted to test out a new engine and transmission in their 2008 Ford Crown Victoria.
According to police, during the race, the Ford hit a pickup truck at Pyramid Drive and Vegas Drive and veered onto a light pole late on the night of March 1.
David Gomez-Mojarro, 16 — who was driving the Ford — and his passenger, Jovan Barrios, 17, died at the scene, police said.
Police said the alleged race and crash were caught on video. According to the report, footage showed Ybarra dropping off his passenger at the scene but then driving away “immediately” after.
Police alleged that both drivers arranged the race at a car wash. One of the dead teens took pictures of the cars, and the images helped identify Ybarra’s Acura TLX, the report said.
The Ford data showed that the car traveled about 75 mph before the impact, and the police said the Acura had kept up with it. The report noted that the speed limit on the road is 35 mph.
Ybarra is next due in court on Tuesday.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.