Full Notification

In front of a large crowd at the Montclair City Council Meeting on Monday night, Mayor Paul Eaton presented Ruth Bonillas with the Montclair Police Department "Certificate of Recognition" for her assistance in apprehending a suspect wanted for hit-and-run. Montclair Police Chief Mike deMoet described Ms. Bonillas actions during the presentation to the City Council.

On Monday, March 10, 2014, just prior to 8:00 a.m., Ms. Bonillas was following a gold Honda Accord in the 9500 block of Mills Avenue. The vehicle swerved to the right and struck two pedestrians who were near the right side of the roadway. One victim was killed, and the other, a 14-year-old girl, was seriously injured.

After the collision, Ms. Bonillas followed the vehicle as it made several evasive turns through a residential area. The vehicle pulled to the side of the road and the driver exited. As he examined the damage to his vehicle, Ms. Bonillas pulled up next to him and told him he had just struck a pedestrian. He denied the accusation saying he had hit trash cans. Ms. Bonillas again told him he had struck a pedestrian and told him to return to the scene. Ms. Bonillas then drove back to the scene to check on the victims. The driver never returned.

Ms. Bonillas contacted officers at the scene and provided an accurate description of the vehicle, of the suspect, and of the events she witnessed. Additionally, Ms. Bonillas provided a piece of extremely critical information; the last three digits of the Honda’s license number. With this information, Montclair Police Detectives were able to identify a potential suspect vehicle associated with an address in the City of Rancho Cucamonga. Detectives located the suspect vehicle at the residence and subsequently took the suspect into custody after an hours-long standoff. The suspect later admitted to striking the pedestrians. The suspect, 24-year-old Nicholas Tortoro of Rancho Cucamonga, is in custody and awaiting trial for several charges, including Felony Hit-and-Run and Vehicular Manslaughter with Gross Negligence.

The 14-year-old victim survived her injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. The deceased victim was later identified as Lucrecia Rodriguez, a 50-year-old resident of Montclair. “Lulu” was out for her daily walk when she was struck and killed. Sadly, she left behind her husband, an 11-year-old son, and a 14-year-old daughter.

Lulu’s family members were present at the meeting and personally thanked Ms. Bonillas for her actions. Although nothing could bring their loved one back, knowing the suspect was behind bars provided the family with solace. They showed great appreciation for what Ms. Bonillas had done and credit her with the suspect’s capture.