Local News in Brief : Biker Faces Murder Charge in Hit-Run Death of Boy, 4

An Arleta man who allegedly struck and killed a 4-year-old boy in Pacoima while racing his motorcycle past an ice-cream truck at more than 70 m.p.h. was arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-degree murder.

Michael A. Barragan, 20, also was charged with felony hit-and-run driving in the accident Friday, which killed Cesar Lombera of San Fernando, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ed Consiglio said.

According to court documents, witnesses said Barragan challenged two of his friends to an impromptu motorcycle race down Montague Street between Cayuga Avenue and Telfair Avenue in Pacoima shortly before 12:30 p.m.

Witnesses said Cesar was a short distance away from the motorcycles with his mother, Zaida Lombera, as she talked with an ice cream vendor parked next to the curb.

The boy stepped out from in front of the ice cream truck just as the three motorcycles raced past, all traveling more than 70 m.p.h., a police report said.

A coroner’s official said the gas tank of the lead motorcycle, allegedly driven by Barragan, struck the boy with such force that it left the imprint of the letter ‘A’ on the boy’s forehead and knocked him out of his shoes. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Barragan is scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 1 in Van Nuys Municipal Court and is being held in lieu of $20,000 bail, a court clerk said.