Palos Verdes Man Arrested In Connection With Fatal Hit-And-Run

PALOS VERDES, CA – A Rancho Palos Verdes man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly hitting and killing a bicyclist last month in Torrance and then leaving the scene.

Investigators located the involved 2009 Toyota 4Runner and arrested Thomas Hudson, 37, at his home, according to Torrance Police Sgt. Ronald Harris.

The bicyclist – Jonathan Valbuena, 32, who was homeless – was struck about 4:45 a.m. on Sept. 17 at Hawthorne Boulevard and 227th Street and died at the scene, according to police and the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Police had been looking for a Toyota 4Runner that was seen on security video from a nearby residence, Harris said.

The arrest was made after a two-week investigation by detectives who pored over evidence left at the scene and looked into "many tips that were called in by the public," Harris said.

Hudson was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to sheriff's inmate records.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock