More than a year after a deadly overnight pileup shut down the southbound 405 through the Sepulveda Pass, prosecutors have arrested a Los Angeles man and charged him with murder in the deaths of an LAPD sergeant and a Good Samaritan motorist.
Mario Joseph Bickham, 36, was taken into custody Monday and is facing two counts of murder in connection with the June 23, 2025 crash on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway. He is being held on $2 million bail and was scheduled for arraignment Monday in downtown Los Angeles. The case stems from a collision that closed the freeway for hours and left colleagues and neighbors grieving.
According to MyNewsLA, Bickham was arrested Monday morning and booked in lieu of $2 million bail, with prosecutors filing two murder counts tied to the 2025 crash. Court records cited by the outlet trace the allegations to the early-morning wreck on June 23, 2025, which investigators have said began as a single-vehicle crash. Officials were expected to hold a downtown Los Angeles news conference with LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and District Attorney Nathan Hochman to lay out the case.
The crash unfolded shortly before 2 a.m. when a Toyota pickup was found disabled in the HOV and No. 1 lanes just north of Moraga Drive, according to California Highway Patrol statements. Sgt. Shiou Deng, 53, pulled up in a marked patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated to help the driver. A Nissan sedan driven by Bickham then slammed into the patrol car and both pedestrians. Jesus Garcia, 34, who had been standing outside the pickup, died at the scene. Deng was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he later died.
Sgt. Deng had served more than 26 years with the LAPD, including about 17 years in the department's Mental Evaluation Unit, colleagues said. During memorial remarks, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell praised Deng's "kindness, humor and purpose," as reported by ABC7. Friends and community members created a GoFundMe for Garcia's family, remembering him as a devoted relative and friend.
Prosecutors have not yet released the full charging documents, and early reports did not make clear whether they will seek any special allegations or sentence enhancements. MyNewsLA notes that the District Attorney's Office and CHP Southern Division officials were slated to speak at the planned news conference, with more specifics expected once prosecutors formally present evidence in court. Bickham, who suffered major injuries in the crash, remains in custody pending arraignment.
Prosecutors' Recent Approach To Crash Cases
Los Angeles prosecutors have in recent months taken a firmer line in several deadly traffic cases, filing murder charges in high-profile crashes and signaling they will seek serious penalties when evidence points to gross negligence or other aggravating factors, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times. That broader shift forms the backdrop for this week's filing and means investigators and lawyers are likely to closely examine pre-crash conduct, vehicle speed, possible impairment and any alleged failure to render aid. The case is expected to move through arraignment, pretrial motions and discovery before any trial date is set.
