Man charged with murder in San Francisco hit-and-run; prosecutors allege road rage against pedestrian

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A man arrested following a hit-and-run collision with an elderly pedestrian in San Francisco this week was charged with murder after prosecutors alleged he struck and ran over the pedestrian in a fit of road rage.

Valentino Cash Amil, 30, was arrested on Monday afternoon shortly after the collision with a 74-year-old pedestrian next to a gas station on Mission Street near South Van Ness Avenue. The San Francisco Police Department said he fled onto U.S. Highway 101 after hitting the pedestrian; officers tracked him to the area of Potrero Avenue and 18th Street, where he was pulled over and arrested.

In a press conference on Thursday, San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins cited new details of the incident, indicating that Amil allegedly targeted the pedestrian following a dispute. 

According to court documents, after filling his black 2024 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan with gas at a Chevron station, Amil began driving onto Mission Street and stopped, partially blocking the sidewalk where the victim was walking. The pedestrian walked up to the vehicle and seemingly took exception to Amil blocking the sidewalk, and the two exchanged words, according to the complaint.

As the victim walked in front of the stopped Mercedes, the victim spilled liquid onto the hood from a water bottle, and Amil then immediately drove into the victim, knocking him off his feet and onto the Mercedes’ hood and windshield, according to court documents.

Investigators obtained surveillance video from the gas station that captured the incident and the interaction before the collision, and Jenkins said it’s clear the pedestrian did not pose a threat to the driver.

“As the victim proceeds around the front of the vehicle, the defendant accelerates, hitting the victim, who ends up on the hood of the vehicle before falling off into the roadway as that vehicle proceeds and then is run over,” Jenkins said.

Later Wednesday, defense attorney Seth Morris completely disputed the account by the Police Department and the district attorney, claiming his client was attacked by a person he characterized as “homeless.” He said Amil had his wife and two children, aged 10 and 4 months, in the car when they were confronted by the pedestrian, and he feared for their safety when the person reached into the car. 

“He panicked, he tried to get his family to safety, and he drove away,” said Morris. “Tragically, that person walked in front of the car, got onto the hood, fell off, and was tragically hurt in the collision.”

Morris said that the family was headed to Disneyland to celebrate his daughter’s birthday at the time of the incident.

“Mr. Amil’s daughter’s birthday was yesterday. They were on their way to Disneyland to celebrate her 11th birthday when they couldn’t get out of the city without being attacked at a gas station,” Morris said. “The fact that the government, that the district attorney has charged him with murder is outrageous, and we will be fighting this case with everything we have.”  

Aside from the murder charge, Amil also faces an allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a murder, and leaving the scene of a crash.

He was scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at the San Francisco Hall of Justice. The DA’s Office said it would move to have Amil detained without bail.