Suspect arrested in Hayward hit-and-run that killed bicyclist

The collision on Sept. 6, 2023, killed 55-year-old Hayward resident Christopher Pena

HAYWARD — A Hayward man suspected of driving a vehicle that fatally hit another man last year has been arrested, police said.

Police caught up to the 36-year-old on Sunday after issuing a warrant for his arrest. In a statement, police said he was suspected of felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter in the crash that killed bicyclist Christopher Pena, 55, of Hayward.

The fatal collision happened on Sept. 6, 2023, near Mission Boulevard and and Orchard Avenue. Medics arrived to find Pena down and treated him at the scene before an ambulance rushed him to a hospital. He died there.

Police said the suspect the vehicle sped off before officers arrived. Witnesses told police the vehicle was an early to mid-2000s Mercedes E350 with silver-colored five-spoke rims. Police said they later found out it was stolen.

According to police, detectives recovered the Mercedes eight days after the collision. It had been set on fire and abandoned.

That discovery eventually led detectives to identify the 36-year-old as the man they suspected in the hit-and-run, police said.