Arrest made in fatal Atwater hit-and-run case

Atwater police on Tuesday arrested a man they believe was the driver of a vehicle that hit and killed a teenage boy last weekend.

Jarrod Mellow, 30, of Atwater, was arrested around 10:30 a.m. on suspicion of manslaughter and causing a hit-and-run collision, both felonies, Atwater police Sgt. Dick Wisdom told the Sun-Star.

He was booked into the Merced County Jail. Mellow posted an $80,000 bail bond and was released just after 4 p.m., according to booking records.

Mellow is being held in connection with the death of 16-year-old Eric D. Ruiz, who died just after midnight Sunday when he was struck by a vehicle in the area of Shaffer Road and Della Drive, near Thomas Olaeta Elementary School.

A black Honda civic with moderate front-end damage has been seized as evidence in the case, Wisdom told the Sun-Star.

Mellow’s driver’s license has been suspended since at least 2011, according to Merced County Superior Court records. Wisdom confirmed Mellow’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash.

Eric Ruiz’s father, Robert, told the Sun-Star he feels “relieved” by news of an arrest in the case.

“It’s a big weight lifted, and we can continue now with the grieving and mourning process without that part hanging over our heads,” Robert Ruiz said in a telephone interview.

According to Merced County Superior Court records, Mellow has been convicted at least three times of driving on a suspended license and at least twice for speeding, dating back to 2008.

He has been convicted of either speeding or driving without a license each of the last three years and there was no record on file of Mellow paying off any of the accumulated fines.

Ruiz praised the work of Atwater police traffic officers and detectives.

“I visited the scene many times since this happened and every single time I was there, (a police officer) was there measuring something, picking up something or looking at something,” Ruiz said. “It was a relief to see how tirelessly they were working on it. You hear about cases like this all the time that never get solved, so I just can’t thank them enough for their work.”

Wisdom said it was still too early in the case to comment on the investigation, including details about the crash or the trail of evidence that led them to Tuesday’s arrest. “Commenting on those things could jeopardize the investigation and it’s still being investigated,” Wisdom said.

Mellow was taken into custody at the Atwater police detective’s office following an interview with investigators.

Wisdom credited the arrest to the work of the department’s traffic unit, Officers Scott Duncan, Mike Rivera and Robert Vargas, as well as Detectives David Brum, Anthony Cardoza and Matt Vierra.

Eric Ruiz may have been skateboarding on the night he was killed, family members have said, which was one of his favorite hobbies.

His father last year purchased him a top-of-the-line skateboard, which he may have had with him at the time of the collision. The skateboard has not been recovered, Robert Ruiz told the Sun-Star.

“It’s still missing and I’d really like to get that back,” Ruiz said. “It’s very important to me.”

Ruiz has told the Sun-Star skateboarding was one of the things over which they had bonded and the family would like to have the board so they can hang it up in their home. The family is asking anyone with any information about the skateboard to contact Atwater police.

The case remains under investigation.

Atwater police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact investigators at (209) 357-6396. Tips are confidential and callers can remain anonymous.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Arrest made in fatal Atwater hit-and-run case."