Man charged with hit-and-run that left teen dead and mother injured

OAKLAND — A 37-year-old man has been charged with multiple felony counts, including intoxicated manslaughter, in connection with an Aug. 19 hit-and-run crash in East Oakland that left a 17-year-old girl dead and her mother injured, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday.

The suspect, Agusto Matias of Oakland, is also charged with felony driving under the influence of alcohol causing personal injury, driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or more causing personal injury, hit and run and driving without a license, the district attorney's press release said.

According to authorities, Matias, who was arrested on August 19, was released from custody a few days later pending further tests, including to confirm his blood alcohol level. Authorities have not disclosed the exact level.

A warrant for his arrest has now been issued for $230,000.

According to authorities, 17-year-old Mardenia Carrillo Lopez and her 46-year-old mother were in a crosswalk in the 7200 block of International Boulevard at Havenscourt Boulevard around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 19 when they were allegedly struck by a vehicle driven by Matias. Authorities said Matias fled the scene of an earlier bumper-to-bumper collision in which he was involved.

After allegedly hitting the girl and her mother, Matias continued driving but crashed a few minutes later in the 8400 block of International Boulevard, where he was arrested by Alameda County Sheriff's officers.

According to a GoFundMe post, Mardenia was “originally from Guatemala and had recently been living in Oakland.”

“Mardenia was a beloved daughter, sister, classmate and community member,” said the post, which had raised $6,820 as of Thursday afternoon, well over the $5,000 goal, to cover funeral expenses, the family's medical expenses and the cost of transporting her body for burial in Guatemala.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my office has filed charges against an individual accused of extremely reckless driving that resulted in the tragic loss of a young life. I want to express my condolences to the family. No parent should ever have to bury their child in such preventable circumstances,” District Attorney Pamela Price said in a press release announcing the charges.

“Our thoughts are with them during this incredibly difficult time. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of impaired and reckless driving. It is a preventable crime that destroys lives, ruins families and puts all of our lives in unnecessary danger. This type of unconscionable behavior will not be tolerated on the streets of our city,” Price added.