Venice hit-and-run suspect may have served time in Colorado jail

A man who turned himself in to police following a deadly hit-and-run on the Venice boardwalk might have spent time in jail in Colorado for trespassing and shoplifting, according to public records.

Nathan Louis Campbell, 38, abandoned his blue sedan on a nearby street and walked into a police station to turn himself in shortly after the Saturday crash that left one dead and 11 injured, police said.

He remained behind bars Monday on suspicion of murder. Campbell, a Colorado native who sources said was possibly living in his car, was being held in lieu of $1-million bail.

Police said Campbell asked how many people had been injured when he turned himself in.

Colorado public records show that a Nathan L. Campbell with the same date of birth as the suspect was accused of shoplifting in February 2009 and spent five days in a Denver jail; he also was accused of trespassing in July 2009 and spent 10 days in jail.

He had also been accused of tresspassing in 2008, Denver County court records show. Denver police confirmed the records and jail time.

The Littleton Police Department and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department, neighboring jurisdictions in Colorado, said they had no prior history with Campbell.

The suspect had no California driver’s license or vehicles registered under his name, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. He had no citations either, according to the DMV.

Witnesses said Sunday that the car appeared to reach speeds of near 60 mph as it moved about a quarter-mile down the boardwalk — officially called Ocean Front Walk. The driver seemed to go out of his way to hit pedestrians, they said.

Alice Gruppioni, 32, an Italian tourist on her honeymoon, was killed, police and fire officials said. Her husband, Christian Casadei, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

A woman whose name has not been released because of privacy laws was listed in serious condition at UCLA Medical Center on Sunday. Four other people, including two women and two men, were treated at the hospital and released.

Others suffered minor injuries and were either released or being treated at other area hospitals.

Video taken from a restaurant on narrow Dudley Avenue shows a man believed to be Campbell pacing near a sedan, then getting into the car and driving suddenly forward, out of camera range.

Another video shows the moments that followed: The sedan slamming into unsuspecting pedestrians and ramming a canopy before turning left and speeding down Ocean Front Walk at an hour when many were simply waiting to watch the setting sun.

The Dodge first tried to exit through a parking lot but struck a sunglasses stand, onlookers said. It then backed up and found a way out at Park Avenue, a street with no blocking barriers, they said.

Officials said the driver entered Ocean Front Walk by driving the car onto a sidewalk and finding enough space to maneuver past five narrow concrete pylons, a barrier meant to block cars.

[For the Record, 11:42 a.m. PDT, Aug. 5, 2013: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated Campbell was accused of shoplifting in 2008; it was trespassing.]

[For the Record, 2:12 p.m. PDT, Aug. 5, 2013: A previous version of this post misidentified Alice Gruppioni’s husband as Christian Gruppioni; his name is Christian Casadei.]

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