The California Highway Patrol arrested a man wanted in connection with a November 2010 hit and run accident that claimed the lives of five members of a motorcycle club.
The accident happened on November 13, 2010, on State Route 98 near Calexico. Members of the Saddletramps Motorcycle Club were celebrating their 10th anniversary when a Honda Civic attempted to pass the group of motorcyclists, forcing an oncoming Dodge Avenger to swerve. The Dodge went out of control and collided with the motorcyclists. The driver of the Honda fled the scene, while the driver of the Dodge stayed at the scene. In September of 2023, an anonymous tip identified the hit and run suspect, prompting a yearlong investigation by the California Highway Patrol El Centro Area Office. On Monday, December 23, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued, and Luis A. Gaspar was arrested and charged with five counts of murder. Gaspar was booked into the Vista Detention Facility in San Diego County and is to be transferred to Imperial County.
According to the CHP, the investigation was assisted by the Imperial County District Attorney's Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Imperial County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit, Border Division and the California Department of Insurance.
