A Long Beach driver who tore through a central city intersection in a stolen SUV, killing another motorist and critically injuring a passenger, has been ordered to spend 11 years in state prison.
The sentence was handed down on May 6, 2026, for the high-speed hit-and-run that shook the neighborhood around Cherry Avenue and 14th Street on Aug. 2, 2024. The crash sparked a multi-hour police response that included a perimeter and SWAT resources. The judge also ruled that separate stolen-vehicle convictions would run at the same time as the 11-year term.
According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, 36-year-old Guillermo Penaloza pleaded no contest to a vehicular-manslaughter count tied to the deadly collision, along with separate counts of receiving stolen vehicles. The outlet identified the man killed in the crash as Allan Kash and reported that the 11-year term was imposed at a Wednesday sentencing hearing.
Crash And Arrest
The Long Beach Police Department says the collision happened just before 7 p.m. on Aug. 2, 2024, when a Chevrolet Suburban was allegedly speeding west on 14th Street and entered the intersection at Cherry Avenue, slamming into a southbound Saturn sedan. The Saturn’s driver later died and a female passenger was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, according to a Long Beach Police Department release.
Police say the Suburban’s driver bolted on foot. Officers locked down the area and called in SWAT, turning several blocks into an active search zone. About two hours and 40 minutes later, investigators tracked down the suspect. FOX 11 reported that he was taken to a hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Long Beach Jail on multiple charges.
Sentence And Charges
The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports that Penaloza entered a no-contest plea to one count of vehicular manslaughter and to receiving a stolen vehicle in two additional cases. Court records cited by the outlet show the stolen-vehicle sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the 11-year prison term. Prosecutors said the plea deal resolved the criminal case and left the length of the sentence up to the judge.
Legal Notes
A no-contest plea, also known as nolo contendere, allows a defendant to accept punishment without formally admitting guilt in the case. In practice, it usually results in a sentence similar to what a guilty plea would bring. Even though the judge ordered the stolen-vehicle terms to run at the same time as the main prison sentence, those convictions still stay on the defendant’s record.
Why This Matters
Deadly hit-and-run crashes remain a stubborn public-safety problem in Long Beach, where investigators regularly juggle serious collisions alongside routine traffic calls. The department’s Collision Investigation Detail continues to dig into major crashes and seek out witnesses. Anyone with information, video or dash-cam footage tied to the Aug. 2 wreck is asked to contact detectives, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
