A Chula Vista police officer charged with misdemeanor manslaughter for allegedly running a red light while on duty and crashing into a motorcyclist is seeking misdemeanor diversion, which would result in his case being dismissed if he completes certain court-ordered terms.
Johan Jacobo, 29, is accused of causing the June 20, 2025, death of Simon Robledo, 28.
Prosecutors allege that while responding to a call, Jacobo turned left against a red arrow at the intersection of Windingwalk Street and Olympic Parkway.
The victim’s motorcycle then collided with Jacobo’s patrol vehicle, and Robledo died at a hospital about an hour later.
If convicted of the misdemeanor count, Jacobo would face up to one year in county jail. But if misdemeanor diversion is granted, his case could be dismissed if he successfully completes the terms of a diversion program.
Jacobo’s defense attorney is seeking a 12-month diversionary period, with terms to include 150 hours of volunteer work and completion of a defensive driving course, along with other terms a judge might impose.
Jacobo is due for a hearing next month regarding the diversion motion. He remains out of custody on his own recognizance.
Robledo’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jacobo and the city of Chula Vista, which alleges Jacobo was not in pursuit of anyone, nor were his patrol vehicle’s lights or sirens activated.
“There is no rational explanation for his conduct in turning left against a red light and into the direct path of Simon Robledo,” the lawsuit states.
In a diversion motion filed last week, Jacobo’s defense attorney, Vishad Dewan, wrote that, according to a defense-retained accident reconstruction expert, other factors besides Jacobo’s left turn may have also contributed to the fatality, including the motorcycle’s high rate of speed and roadway visibility issues.
The defense motion states that an investigation conducted by the California Highway Patrol’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team found Robledo’s motorcycle was traveling “between 89 and 98 miles per hour when it initially appeared and began to enter the intersection.”
The defense’s expert concluded that those speeds prevented Robledo from being able to stop soon enough to prevent a collision.
But the expert also found that landscaping in the center median, as well as the roadway’s curvature and grade, prevented Jacobo and Robledo from seeing one another until the last moment. The expert also concluded that emergency lights and sirens would not have changed the motorcycle’s speed or altered the roadway’s visibility restrictions, according to the defense motion.
Dewan wrote that Jacobo would be a good candidate for diversion due to a lack of criminal history and also stated that Jacobo “remains profoundly affected by the loss of life resulting from this accident” and is “deeply mindful of Mr. Robledo’s family and the loss that they have endured.”
The lawsuit remains pending, though Jacobo and the city requested to pause the civil case until the criminal proceedings are completed.