A street race between two Cameros turned deadly, after the drivers of both cars lost control and crashed. 18-year-old Robert Vasquez was ejected from a 1993 green Camero and died. Family members say he was the youngest of 10 siblings and his nephew's favorite uncle.
"Out of the six uncles he has it was his favorite. Now, I don't know what I'm going to tell him when he, when he asks me for him," said Miriam Vasquez, the victim's sister.
The victim's brother, 21-year-old Marcos Estrada, was also in the green Camero along with another passenger, both survived. The driver was 20-year-old Jesus Miguel Corrales.
"Alcohol is suspected to be a factor. The driver of the '93 camero.. was placed under arrest for DUI and other charges," said Sean Duncan, a Spokesman for the CHP.
This witness says the two cars passed her truck and then began racing. "And sure enough, split seconds later you just see the head lights and that transmitter they hit the pole and it came down and that caught fire," said Simonae Palmer.
The other vehicle, a 1995 maroon Camero is registered to Tremayne Beard. The CHP doesn't know if Beard was driving, because the driver fled from the scene.
In 2010 the main suspect in a chop shop bust had the same name as the owner of the maroon Camero, Tremayne Beard. The CCAT Team said at the time that Beard sold stolen car parts, specifically used to increase performance in street races.
Before that, in 2006, Beard was arrested in a huge drug bust. The CHP and Police say they can't comment on prior cases, pending this investigation.
The victim's family members claim the driver of the maroon Camero initiated Thursday night's street race.
"The other [person] just told them, you know, lets race and that's it," said Cecilia Cerda, the victim's sister. She added Vasquez initially didn't want to go with his brother and friends, he was supposed to work that night.