Fundraiser held for family of father killed in hit-and-run crash at taco stand

By Tim Pulliam

Click here for updates on this story

    POMONA, California (KABC) — A Pomona community gathered over the weekend to honor a father of four and offer support to his family after the 52-year-old was killed when a hit-and-run driver plowed into a taco stand.

Tacos La Guerra hosted a fundraiser Sunday night for the family of Gilberto Cazares Payan. All the money raised will help pay for his funeral and support his grieving family.

“It’s something that they (didn’t) expect and they lost a father and a husband. They’re not doing good… It’s why we’re here, to support them,” said family friend Candi Garcia.

Another fundraiser is scheduled for Monday night outside of the Cardenas Market on West Holt Avenue.

Payan was killed Friday night in the crash that left twelve other people injured. Family friends said the victim was visiting the taco stand to pick up dinner when the driver slammed into the stand’s pop-up tent, scattering chairs and tables.

The crash happened just before 7:45 p.m. in the area of West Holt Avenue and Dudley Street, near Kiwanis Park, according to the Pomona Police Department. Payan was pronounced dead at the scene by firefighter-paramedics.

The driver, a 26-year-old Pomona woman, ran from the crash site but turned herself into police just before 11 p.m. She was booked on suspicion of two felonies, police said in a statement: vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and hit-and-run with death/injury.

The suspect has not been publicly identified. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to police.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.