The man responsible for the death of a Foster Farms employee in a 2023 hit-and-run incident was sentenced to three years in a California state prison.
Melicio Ayala-Hernandez received his sentence on June 27 in a Fresno County courtroom.
The court action stems from an August 23, 2023, incident, in which Ayala-Hernandez, an employee of a temporary agency who was doing work for Foster Farms, had entered a vehicle owned by Foster Farms, then began to drive it on a Foster Farms ranch in Fresno County. While driving that vehicle, the Ayala-Hernandez struck Foster Farms team member Jose Romero Aguilera. Ayala did not stop, but instead left the property. He surrendered to California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers not far from where the incident occurred.
Aguilera was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
According to a report from ABC30, Ayala-Hernandez never faced any homicide charges, but rather pleaded no contest to charges of having a stolen truck and leaving the scene. The case never went to trial.
Ayala-Hernandez has remained in custody since his arrest. While his sentence is to serve 3 years, he will be given credit for the time he has already spent incarcerated.
