By Redacción
[email protected]
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Makare Darnell Toliver (DOB 04/07/03), a Lancaster resident, has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison.
Toliver pled guilty on November 21, 2024, to charges including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, second-degree robbery, grand theft of a firearm, evading an officer causing death, and fleeing the scene of an accident involving death. He also admitted to multiple special allegations, including the personal use of a firearm and committing a crime involving great violence.
The incident occurred on July 27, 2024, when Toliver approached a man sitting in a parked car in Camarillo. He opened the car door and pointed a loaded firearm at the driver, demanding his belongings. Toliver took cash, a cell phone, and a bag containing a handgun before fleeing the scene in a red Mazda. The victim immediately reported the robbery to police, providing a description of the suspect and the vehicle.
Shortly after, Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the red Mazda in Camarillo and attempted a traffic stop. Toliver initially pulled over but quickly sped away, leading deputies on a high-speed chase. While driving over 100 mph on Central Avenue, Toliver swerved into a bicycle lane to avoid slower traffic, striking cyclist Robert Pierret. Rather than stopping, he accelerated again and later crashed into another vehicle on Central Avenue. Despite the collision, Toliver continued driving, eventually losing control and colliding head-on with a second vehicle in oncoming traffic. At the scene of the second crash, Toliver exited the car and surrendered to law enforcement. Both he and his passenger were taken into custody.
Cyclist Robert Pierret was transported to Ventura County Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Leija, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
“The Pierret family has endured an unimaginable loss due to the defendant’s selfish and reckless actions,” said Leija. “While no sentence can ever undo that loss, I hope the court’s decision provides the Pierret family with the closure they deserve.”
