March 21, 2023 - Merced Police Department officials report that on March 20, 2023, Officers with the Merced Police Department Traffic Division arrested 2 suspects for vehicular homicide. Suspect Jose Ramirez Moreno, 2-21-97 and suspect Alize Jacob Lua, 9-27-01, were involved in a street race in the City of Merced on October 26, 2022. Moreno driving a black Camaro and Lua driving a Blue BMW were racing in excess of 80 MPH on south M St. at 1:30 P.M. in the afternoon. As they approached Buena Vista Dr., Moreno broadsided the victim vehicle killing the elderly driver and injuring her granddaughter. Lua avoided the collision but fled the scene of the accident. After 5 Months of investigation, The District Attorneys Office issued warrants for both individuals. They were arrested at their homes and booked into the Merced County Jail.

CASE# 22-63310

Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer McKeeman at 209-385-6905 or by email at McKeemanC@cityofmerced.org.

Other ways to contact us or report crime include:

For any emergency call or text 911

For non-emergency call 209-385-6912

Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725

Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.

Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.

Source: Merced Police Department