San Jacinto Man Convicted in Death of Menifee Cyclist

Stephen Kaas, riding companion of Matt Carp, looks at bicycle with police at the scene of the July 23, 2014 accident. Menifee 24/7 photo: Doug Spoon

The man charged in the death of a Menifee bicyclist in July 2014 was found guilty today of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.

Luis Aranda Llamas, 25, of San Jacinto will be sentenced May 6, said John Hall of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. His trail began last week and the jury returned with a verdict today.

According to police, Llamas was driving a black Acura at a high rate of speed eastbound on Domenigoni Parkway just east of Menifee when he struck from behind a bicycle ridden by Matt Carp, 55, of Menifee. Carp (left) was thrown into the air and suffered major head trauma, even though he was wearing a helmet. Carp died at the scene.

Carp, an avid cyclist, was on one of his frequent rides with a friend, Stephen Kaas, who narrowly escaped injury in the July 23, 2014 accident, which occurred about 5:20 p.m.

Multiple tributes were paid to Carp after the accident. A few days later, the Inland Empire Biking Alliance placed a "ghost bike" to the side of the eastbound lanes on the top of the hill where Carp died. That white bike still stands as a memorial today. The next day, hundreds turned out for an outdoor memorial for Carp, who was described as a "fanatical cyclist" by his brother, Marc.

Kaas told Menifee 24/7 after the accident that Carp was riding slightly behind him as the two rode in single file in the bike lane on the right shoulder of the road when he heard a crash and saw Carp fly into the air. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

"He just rode because he liked it, and I can't tell you how many people we met on rides who knew him as we passed by," Kaas said in a 2014 interview. "Everybody who rides bikes in Menifee knows Matt."