Community Corner

Prelim Hearing For Arcadia Man Accused of Manslaughter in Penhall Death

Tatsuhiko Sakamoto is accused of drunken driving and manslaughter in the death of Connor Penhall, the 21-year-old son of motorcycle racing champion Bruce Penhall.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday morning for an Arcadia man charged in the death of a road worker in Baldwin Park, City News Service reported.

Tatsuhiko Sakamoto, 37, is being . He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Sakamoto .

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On April 4 at approximately 11:45 p.m., Sakamoto allegedly drove his Toyota Rav4 through a closed section of the westbound 10 Freeway, striking Connor Penhall, the 21-year-old son of motorcycle racing champion and TV show CHiPs star Bruce Penhall.

Emergency responders pronounced Penhall dead at the scene. 

Penhall was operating a concrete saw that night as part of construction work being done by Caltrans subcontractor Cut n Core on the freeway at Francisquito Avenue.

A facebook page called "RIP Connor Penhall #81" was created to honor Penhall on April 6, the title referring to his participation in motocross.

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Read more about Penhall's motocross ambitions on the Huffington Post.

According to an Aug. 29 post on the Facebook page, Penhall's parents are starting their own road construction business on Oct. 1, the Connor Concrete Cutting and Coring Co., named after their son.


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