Home › News › Local News
Hit-run victim buried, mourned
Oxnard man killed in Anaheim after rescuing his wife
Download this story as a podcast!
Photos by James Glover II / Star staff Pallbearers carry Richard Zarate's casket to its burial site at Santa Clara Catholic Cemetery on Tuesday in Oxnard. "Richard was a father, brother, son, cousin and friend to all of us," his brother, Miguel, said at the funeral.
STORY TOOLS 
More from Local NewsMonica Zarate was leaving Oxnard's Santa Clara Catholic Cemetery, where her husband had just been buried Tuesday, when she spotted a reporter.
"He didn't deserve to die this way," Zarate said as she broke down and cried.
Richard Zarate, 28, of Oxnard, was run over May 3 by a hit-and-run driver outside a bar in Anaheim as his wife, friends and other horrified bystanders looked on.
Zarate was dragged some 75 yards under the car. The driver, who has still not been found or arrested, then backed up and ran over him again, said Fabiola Perez of Anaheim, a friend and witness. She attended Zarate's funeral Tuesday with her fiance, Delfino Perez.
Monica and Richard had traveled to Anaheim from Oxnard to visit her and Delfino. The two couples went to Loffler's Sports Bar & Grill to play pool and relax, Delfino said.
They left the bar about 1:30 a.m., and Delfino saw a man urinating on a wall near the entrance, he said. "I told him he should go to the bathroom inside," out of respect for the women with them, Delfino said.
Delfino said he had walked away when he heard the man running toward him and swearing. He said the man took a swing at him but missed. Delfino said he punched the man and walked away again.
Fearing more trouble, Delfino said, the two couples walked quickly toward their car, which was parked at least a half-mile away. Before they could reach it, the man and some of his friends drove up, spotting the couples as they walked. Fabiola said the man, sitting in the back of the car, yelled, "There they are, get them!"
Someone then reached out from the car "and grabbed Monica by the arm," Fabiola said. "The car was moving, and they were holding on to her and twisting her arm."
She said the person let go of Monica's arm after Richard came to his wife's aid. Fabiola then remembers hearing screaming as Richard was hit and dragged under the car for what seemed like an interminable distance. He finally became dislodged from the car, but the driver made a U-turn and ran over him again, she said.
When Richard's wife and friends reached him, they found his crumpled body on the ground. He was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, where he died about five hours later, Delfino said.
Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, called Zarate's killing "a horrific crime."
Delfino said he had seen the man who started the altercation inside the bar that night. "I think he lives in the area," he said.
Amormino agreed, saying detectives are pursuing various leads.
Delfino said another man was driving the car, and there were at least two female passengers as well.
Friends said Richard had married Monica only in February and was looking forward to a new life with her. He worked in the area, including delivering newspapers, friends said. He was born in Oxnard and attended local schools, they said.
Richard's brother, Miguel Martinez, eulogized him at the funeral. "Richard was a father, brother, son, cousin and friend to all of us," Martinez told the crowd at St. Anthony's Church in Oxnard. "He was a good kid, someone who would do anything for his family. And he showed it, he didn't just say it."
Yolanda, one of Richard's six children, remembered her father at the funeral.
"He was kind and loving," the young girl said. "I love him very much and I'll miss him."
Posted by smithjc on May 14, 2008 at 1:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
the star trivializes this crime by calling it a "hit and run" as though it was some kind of "accident". it was a deliberate assault with a deadly weapon (car) resulting in death, i.e., a homicide.
my condolences to the family. i hope you find justice.
Posted by lrgvanman on May 14, 2008 at 6:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wholeheartedly agree with you, smithjc. I also send my condolences to Richard's family and friends.
Posted by FedUp on May 14, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
does he have three children or six children left behind? either way, that is a lot of kids for a 28 year old man.
sorry he had to lose his life in such a horrible way. I do wonder if there is more to this story then is being reported though.
Posted by TiquisiaPrincess on May 14, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My condonlences to the family. What a horrific tragedy. Does anyone know the family? There are support groups in the area. Especially when a homicide occurrs support is always needed. One of these groups can be reached at vc.pomc@yahoo.com . My prayers are with the family.
Posted by latina79 on May 14, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope for the sake of the family they catch these S.O.B. What kind of sick people would do something like this to a human being? I don't have much money but I would sure like to help the family/kids out in anyway. May he rest in peace! God bless the family.
Posted by latina79 on May 14, 2008 at 10:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope for the sake of the family they catch these S.O.B. What kind of sick people would do something like this to a human being? I don't have much money but I would sure like to help the family/kids out in anyway. May he rest in peace! God bless the family.
Posted by vcsexplorer11 on May 14, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a horrible way to die.
Six kids. Who's watching them when he's at a bar in Anaheim? I can't get relatives to watch one kid.
Anyway, this is so sad.
Posted by jdub17 on May 14, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My condolences to Richard's family & friends. He was standing up for decency and what was right. Not many people do that these days. I hope the police catch these cowards and prosecute them to the fullest extent.
Posted by SoCalNative on May 14, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How very sad. I agree, this is not just a "hit and run", this is MURDER, no two ways about it. Let's hope that this MURDERER is caught soon. My heart goes out to the friends and relatives of this man. God bless you.
Posted by ironwoman on May 14, 2008 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I pray for Mrs. Zarate and the children.
Posted by jill on May 14, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sure that these people will be caught. One of them is bound to talk.
My deepest sympathy goes out to the family. This should not have happened.
Posted by RedTail on May 14, 2008 at 11:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How sad for the family! He sounded like a decent man.
What cowards these murderers are! They had to run him over instead of facing him, man to man.
I hope the losers are found and get punished severely.
Posted by juniormafia_ny on May 15, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
RIP, and condolences to the family... but I mean, why would you confront a drunk guy urinating on the street? You never know how a drunk person will react. I'm not going to confront a guy urinating on the street, unless he is peeing on me or my date!
Posted by juniormafia_ny on May 15, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
also, I know he rescued his wife, but if he had never confronted the drunk, his wife wouldn't have needed rescuing. You can't start a fire, put it out yourself, and call yourself a hero.
Posted by Erkine_Childers on May 15, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think they will talk.. the guilt will eventually start eating at them.. Especially the girls that were inthe car..
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.