Authorities named the man struck by a vehicle and killed Aug. 31 in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven gas station on Erringer Road in Simi Valley.
Juan Rosales, 55, died from multiple, blunt-force injuries, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. The Simi Valley man's death was deemed an accident, agency officials said.
Rosales was a pedestrian at the gas station when a driver struck him and drove away around 4:15 p.m. Rosales was pronounced dead at the scene, the Simi Valley Police Department previously said.
The driver's vehicle was spotted abandoned nearby, and he was later found and arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and felony leaving the scene of an accident.
Rosales' family has started a fundraising
page to help pay for his cremation, funeral expenses and return to his mother in Durango, Mexico, his cousin Rebecca Huerta said by phone Sept. 6. Rosales had arrived in the U.S. at age 20 and worked in construction and as a mason for most of his life, she said.
Juan "Pato" Huerta Rosales, as he was known to family, was not married and has no children so local relatives are working to organize his services. His viewing, rosary and reception are planned for Sept. 12 at Rose Family Funeral Home in Simi Valley.
Huerta said she had been running errands Aug. 31 shortly before the crash, passed the gas station and saw her cousin there. Upon her return past the station, she saw police vehicles and stopped to see if something had happened to Rosales.
Huerta said officers could not confirm at the time that her cousin was the victim, but she realized he was likely the person struck and gave officers his name.
Huerta said she has since seen multiple videos of the crash and heard from witnesses. Her cousin had been at the 7-Eleven to buy scratcher lottery tickets, which he did a couple of times a week, she said.
Rosales had exited the convenience store and sat down outside to scratch the lotto tickets when he was struck by the vehicle, Huerta said based on her viewing of the footage.
The driver, a 40-year-old Simi Valley man, pleaded not guilty to both counts in Ventura County Superior Court records Sept. 2, according to court records. His bail was also reduced to $300,000.
He remained at Ventura County jail as of Sept. 6, jail records show. He is scheduled to return to court Sept. 11.
Stacie N. Galang is news director of the Ventura County Star. She can be reached at 805-437-0222 or stacie.galang@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Authorities ID man killed in crash at Simi Valley 7-Eleven
