An informal memorial has been set up along Storke Road in Goleta at the location where Ruben Reyes Victoria, 29, of Goleta was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.
An informal memorial has been set up along Storke Road in Goleta at the location where Ruben Reyes Victoria, 29, of Goleta was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Wednesday afternoon. (Tom Bolton / Noozhawk photo)

Authorities have released the name of the landscape maintenance worker who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver Wednesday afternoon in Goleta.

The victim was Ruben Reyes Victoria, 29, of Goleta, according to Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on Storke Road near Bollay Drive.

Victoria was on the southbound side of the roadway when he was hit by the vehicle, which then reportedly drove to a nearby hotel.

The suspect driver — identified as David Z. Rousso, 19 — was arrested a short time later on the 400 block of Storke Road, Zick said.

Ruben Reyes Victoria of Goleta, a landscape maintenance worker who was killed Wednesday afternoon by a hit-and-run driver in Goleta, was also a chef at Goodland BBQ.
Ruben Reyes Victoria of Goleta, a landscape maintenance worker who was killed Wednesday afternoon by a hit-and-run driver in Goleta, was also a chef at Goodland BBQ. (Contributed photo)

He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of felony hit and run causing death or injury, and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, according to a jail spokeswoman.

Rousso remained in custody Thursday night, with bail set at $50,000.

He is expected to appear in Superior Court in Santa Barbara on Monday for arraignment, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in this collision, Zick said.

One southbound lane of Storke Road was shut down between Bollay Drive and Santa Felicia Drive for a time after the collision.

Victoria was an employee of Kitson Landscape Management. He also worked as a chef at Goodland BBQ.

He leaves behind his wife and two young children, and a GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral expenses and to benefit his family.

As of Thursday night, it had received $9,757 of a $50,000 goal.

Click here to contribute to the GoFundMe.

There also is a fundraiser planned from 5 to 8 p.m. next Wednesday at Goodland BBQ. The restaurant will be giving 20% of all sales to Victoria’s family.

Details about services were pending.

Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story.

Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com.