Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas formally charged with three misdemeanors in high-speed California hit-and-run
NEW YORK — Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas was formally charged with three misdemeanors in the Superior Court of California on Wednesday for an alleged high-speed hit-and-run that led to his arrest in June.
Butte County (Calif.) Deputy District Attorney Glenn Jennings filed a criminal complaint on Wednesday that charged Rosas with reckless driving on a highway, hit and run and property damage, and driving with a suspended or revoked license due to a previous DUI of alcohol or drugs.
Rosas, 25, was convicted of driving under the influence in 2016 in Glenn (Calif.) Superior Court, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
The complaint was filed in Oroville Criminal Court in the court of Judge Michael P. Candela. Rosas’ first court appearance, as the Daily News previously reported, is scheduled for Sept. 4.
It will be an arraignment before Judge Michael R. Deems at 8:30 a.m. Rosas does not necessarily have to attend that arraignment, Ramsey said. He could appear by attorney.
The filling of formal charges occurs when the prosecution believes it can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Giants had no comment on formal charges being filed when reached by the Daily News on Thursday. In June, after Rosas’ arrest, the team had said in a statement: “We are aware of the situation and have been in contact with Aldrick. We have no further comment at this time.”
An NFL spokesperson told the News: “We have been monitoring developments in the matter which remains under review.”
Rosas was arrested on June 15 by the California Highway Patrol with “his hands, legs and bare feet … covered in blood” after a high-speed hit-and-run near Chico, Calif., that occurred at 8:25 a.m. per the CHP’s initial report of collision.
Witnesses told police Rosas was driving anywhere from 90-100 miles per hour and T-boned a Ford pick-up truck after speeding through a red light. He then fled the scene of the accident on foot.
The driver of the Ford reported no injuries, but Ramsey said Rosas had clipped the front of the Ford in a T-bone fashion, according to witnesses at the scene, and that he was only a “split-second” away from something a lot worse.
The responding officers eventually found Rosas about three and a half hours later, walking down the street about a mile and a half away from the crash.
Officer Ron Simmons of the CHP wrote in his report that “alcohol impairment is believed to be a factor in the collision,” but Ramsey told the Daily News that Rosas was never breathalyzed or subjected to any test to confirm that.
Ramsey said the officers picked up Rosas so long after the crash that it’s possible even with a test, they wouldn’t have been able to say for sure that Rosas’ blood alcohol level would have correlated to his BAC at the time of the alleged hit-and-run. So the assertion that alcohol was a factor amounts only to the officer’s opinion based on his investigation.
Rosas was taken to the Enloe Medical Center to treat “minor” injuries. Then he was booked at the Butte County Jail in Oroville, Calif., at 2:50 p.m. PDT for hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license, both misdemeanors.
Rosas was cited and released at 4:37 p.m. PDT with no bail, standard procedure for such charges. Reckless driving on a highway was added as a third formal charge on Wednesday.
According to the collision report obtained by the News from the CHP, “a T-bone traffic collision occurred in the intersection of SR-99 and Garner Lane” at approximately 8:25 a.m.
Witnesses told the responding officer that a black Chevrolet SUV, Rosas’ car, “was traveling north on SR-99 passing traffic over the double yellow lines at a speed estimated to be 100 mph.”
“The black Chevrolet failed to stop for a red light and collided with a Ford pick-up truck that was in the intersection traveling west on Garner Lane,” the report states. “The Ford became disabled in the intersection. The driver of the (2018) Chevrolet (Rosas) attempted to flee the scene and the Chevrolet became disabled north of the collision scene.”
The report explains that “the driver exited the Chevrolet and fled the scene on foot running to the west.”
“Once the scene was cleared Officers from CHP and Chico PD responded to an address in Chico associated with the Registered Owner of the Chevrolet but the driver was not located,” the report adds. “CHP Officers Simmons and Callahan were responding back to the area of the collision to collect evidence, when Officer Simmons observed a male walking south on Esplanade near Eaton Rd that matched the suspect description.
“The Officers contacted the male and observed his hands, legs and bare feet were covered in blood. The male identified himself as Aldrick Rosas, the registered owner of the Chevrolet SUV.”
Rosas is entering his fourth NFL season with the Giants, coming off a down year after a Pro Bowl appearance in 2018. The Giants placed a second-round tender on the restricted free agent kicker this spring at a cost of $3.259 million for the 2020 season after he made just 12-of-17 field goals and 35-of-39 extra points last season.
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