MONTEBELLO — A  man suspected of fleeing the scene after fatally striking an 84-year-old Montebello woman and her dog appeared in court Friday.
David Loera, 38, of Montebello is charged with vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run in connection with the Oct. 5, 2009 crash that killed Norma Lambo and her dog, Barney.
He was ordered to return to East Los Angeles Superior Court on Nov. 29 for a preliminary hearing.
In the hearing, a judge will listen to a summary of the evidence from both the prosecution and defense and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
Lambo and her dog were struck by a pickup truck as they crossed the street at Jefferson Avenue and Alfred Court in Montebello.
After the truck struck Lambo, a passenger got out of the truck and removed the elderly woman’s crumpled walker from the bumper before getting back into the vehicle, which drove off, investigators said.
Loera was jailed three days after the crash, but the passenger has not been found.
A San Gabriel man was initially arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact, but charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Loera is free on $100,000 bail as he awaits trial.
Lambo was a longtime Montebello resident who co-founded the city’s “Sister Cities” organization and served as president of the group several times.