A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without owner’s consent in connection to a construction site accident turned tragedy early Monday morning, according to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials.
At approximately 3 a.m. on Monday at the 29300 block of Calle Primavera, a call was received in regards to a male banging on a homeowner’s door. Deputies arrived on the scene and detained the man.
“During investigation, they learned five male young adults entered a construction site and took a tractor on a joyride, during which the tractor tipped over, killing one individual,” wrote Deputy Natalie Arriaga, a spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station, in an email to The Signal.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed that Valencia resident Preston Bolder, 19, was pronounced dead at 3:23 a.m. on Monday in relation to the accident.
According to Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel who responded to the scene near the intersection of Avenida Rancho Tesoro and Tesoro Del Valle Drive, no other injuries were reported.
Steven Wilkes, of Santa Clarita, was arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent at the felony level and was booked into the SCV Sheriff’s Station. He was later released on bail; his original bail was set at $25,000.
SCV Sheriff’s Station traffic investigators are continuing with the investigation at the time of this publication.
