BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — David Lopez Lilly was apprehended by FBI and Nayarit State Police in Mexico, before being transported back to CHP custody. David Lopez Lilly is facing several felony charges including murder.
- Steve Alvidrez, then Kern High School District Chief of Police, was killed and his wife was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident while on a motorcycle on Highway 99 just south of Delano in June of 2011.
- According to a CHP Report, "The investigation determined that David Lopez Lilly, 37, of Bakersfield, was the driver at fault. Lilly fled the scene and avoided apprehension."
- Lilly was charged as a result of the incident but remained at large for over a decade before his arrest on Wednesday in Puerto Vallarta.
- Many members of the Alvidrez family and friends of the family were in attendance for Lopez's arraignment. Following the proceeding, Alvidrez's son, also named Steve, spoke with the media and said he hopes that it's able to provide closure for those who cared about his father.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The man who is alleged to have killed then Kern High School District Police Chief Steven Alvidrez in a hit and run appeared in court on Friday. I'm Sam Hoyle, your neighborhood reporter.
David Lopez Lilly was arraigned on an indictment for several charges including murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Steve Alvidrez, who at the time was the Kern High School District police chief was killed, and his wife was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident while on a motorcycle on Highway 99 just south of Delano in June of 2011.
Despite the accident occurring 13 years ago, Lopez Lilly remained at large for over a decade before being arrested in Mexico on Wednesday and transported back stateside to face charges.
For the Alvidrez family, the hope is that this process will provide closure.
"It's been a whirlwind of emotions, and we're very very excited about this process and to kind of get some closure for our family," said Steve Alvidrez, son of Steve Alvidrez. "As far as satisfaction goes for me personally, just happy that he can no longer hurt anyone else out in the community. His time is coming and he needs to answer for that. For me, I'm very happy he's behind bars."
When asked about the case following the arraignment, supervising deputy district attorney Gina Pearl was unable to answer most questions regarding Lopez Lilly's apprehension pointing to the pending criminal investigation.
However, shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday, California Highway Patrol released a statement describing the joint effort between multiple federal and state agencies that worked to apprehend Lilly, reading in part:
"On January 15, 2025, Lilly was arrested by the FBI with assistance from the Nayarit State Police. Mexican immigration officials escorted Lilly from Puerto Vallarta to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where CHP investigators took him into custody. Lilly was subsequently booked at the Kern County Sheriff's Lerdo Justice Facility on murder charges."
Lilly is being held without bond.
Lopez Lilly is slated to be in court again on February 13 for a motions hearing, his trial is scheduled to start on March 3rd.
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