Ceres police report man arrested in hit-and-run that resulted in bicyclist’s death

Ceres police report that a bicyclist has died from his injuries after being struck by a hit-and-run driver Friday morning and officers have arrested a suspect.

Ceres resident Gilbert Joseph Tavares, 73, was being held Saturday morning on $125,000 bail at the Stanislaus County Detention Center on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run driving, according to the Sheriff’s Department website.

Ceres police have not released the bicyclist’s name pending notification of his family according to a Police Department Facebook post.

Officers responded at 11:10 a.m. Friday to a report of a hit-and-run on the Pine Street overpass. The bicyclist was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

Officers conducted a traffic stop at 7:30 p.m. Friday on a vehicle “that was determined through an investigation to be involved in” the hit-and-run and took Tavares into custody, according to the post. The post also said the bicyclist had died from his injuries.

Ceres police are seeking witnesses to the hit-and-run, as well as asking residents and businesses near the hit-and-run to check their security cameras for images that might help police in their investigation.

Anyone with information can contact Officer Vandagriff at 209-538-5678 or Krandall.vandagriff@ci.ceres.ca.us. Anonymous tipsters can call Stanislaus County Area Crime Stoppers at 1-866-60-CRIME.