Leroy Thomas, killed in a hit-and-run accident in San Jose
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A father of two, who police say was intentionally hit and killed by a driver in San Jose, is being remembered by family as a good-humored, generous person who spent time helping the homeless.
The victim, identified by family as 32-year-old Leroy Thomas, was struck near the intersection of North Capitol Avenue and Berryessa Road around 5 a.m. on Monday.
"Our hearts aren’t going to be the same after this," said Thomas' sister, Sabrina Thomas.
When police officers arrived, they found an unconscious and not breathing man pinned under a minivan. Authorities later arrested Edward Herrera, a San Jose resident accused of the hit-and-run that resulted in the city's 27th homicide for 2024 on Wednesday.
Police said their investigation determined that Herrera knew the victim and that the collision was intentional. Herrera was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for murder.
San Jose hit-and-run suspect arrested, booked for murder
Authorities have arrested a San Jose resident accused of a hit-and-run, resulting in the city's 27th homicide for 2024 on Wednesday.
Thomas’ sister said neither she nor anyone in the family knew Herrera, so a potential motive for the hit-and-run remains unclear.
Thomas leaves behind a 13-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, and his family said his absence this holiday season would leave a void at the dinner table.
"Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t going to be the same. My brother was the life of holidays. We’d be sitting there, having supper, you know, like any traditional family, having Thanksgiving dinner, and he’d be cracking jokes. He would crack jokes all the time. He was a big goofy person, and that’s something that was stripped of us," said Sabrina Thomas.
The family said it was currently working on funeral arrangements. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for the costs, and according to Thomas' sister, any money left over would be put towards a trust for Thomas’ two children.