Jury delivers verdict in hit-and-run case, victim’s family says “We got justice”

Troy Reynolds was found guilty on all counts yesterday afternoon. Reynolds was the suspect in a hit-and-run collision from the night of January 26, 2024, on Twentynine Palms Highway, near the intersection with Avalon Avenue. The collision claimed the life of sixteen-year-old Joshua Barreras, who was found lying unresponsive in the center median of the four-lane highway by Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Deputies, and was pronounced deceased less than an hour later. The jury was made up of 5 women and 7 men and deliberated for just under two hours before delivering the guilty verdict.

Both the prosecution and the defense rested at the end of court on Wednesday. The trial began yesterday with Judge Sarah Oliver reading a statement of the offense to the jury. Reynolds was charged with Felony Hit and Run Resulting in Permanent Injury or Death. Further, there were two aggravating factors: one being that Reynolds occupied a position of leadership or induced others to participate in the crime. This factor refers to Reynolds’ relationship with his employee James Phipps, who picked up Reynolds from Riverside the night of the collision and ordered the repairs of the damaged tow truck. The second aggravating factor is that the manner in which the crime was carried out indicated either sophistication or professionalism. 

Attorneys for both sides presented their closing remarks to the jury, beginning with the prosecution. District Attorney Jason Gueltzow began by focusing on Joshua Barreras and the tragic event that took his life. He then reviewed the evidence presented by the prosecution, as well as Reynolds’ own statements made while on the witness stand. On Wednesday, Attorney Gueltzow cross-examined Reynolds and needled him on testimony, particularly his decision to drive his damaged tow truck to Riverside for repair on the night of the collision. 

He said, “If you think he just magically happened to get a call that took him to Riverside to a dealership that’s not open at one in the morning…that seems a little far-fetched. You can believe that if you want to, but what it looks like is he’s getting that truck out of town. That’s what the law would call ‘conscience of guilt.’”

Gueltzow ended his argument with a well-known quote by author C.S. Lewis: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

Defense Attorney James Rogan also began his closing remarks by referencing Joshua Barreras. He addressed the jury saying, “Your job is to sit here and decide if my client is guilty or not guilty of the crime that he was charged with. Your job is not to avenge Mr. Barreras. His death is an unqualified tragedy.”

Attorney Rogan then explained that the jury’s task was determining the verdict based on proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He acknowledged that Reynolds’ leaving the scene of the collision without providing his information to law enforcement would violate the code section related to hit-and-run. Much of his closing remarks instead focused on the two aggravating factors, which Rogan argued were based on speculation rather than evidence; therefore, they would not meet the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He also argued that having never been in an accident before, Reynolds did not use any specialized knowledge to conceal the crime, and that his return to work refuted the allegation of scheming or professionalism.

He said, “The burden on the aggravated factors is just as high as it is in the underlying criminal act on the part of the crime.”

In his brief statement following the defense’s remarks, Gueltzow again centered on Barreras before broadening his scope. 

He said, “I don’t get to decide what is acceptable in this community… you guys get to decide that.” With that, the two years of court proceedings were finished and Troy Reynolds’ fate was in the hands of the jury.

After the lunch recess, the jury deliberated for just under two hours before reaching the verdict. Several sheriff’s deputies were posted throughout the courtroom, along with staff from the District Attorney’s office and members of both Joshua Barreras and Troy Reynolds’ families. The room was heavy with silence as Judge Oliver read the verdict — guilty — along with finding both aggravating factors to be true. 

Following the reading, Gueltzow and Detective Shane Crowl accompanied Barreras’s family and friends as they exited the courthouse. Barreras’ grandmother, Sherry Moreno, was emotional as she commented on the lengthy judicial process.

“It’s been a long two years and three months, and we got justice! We got justice.”

Deputies took Reynolds into custody, and he is being held without bail. He will return to court on April 29 for a sentencing hearing.