MARTINEZ — Prosecutors in Contra Costa have filed a murder charge against a man who allegedly crashed his BMW X3 into a motorcyclist while en route to a nightclub in San Francisco.
Benjamin Esquivel-Madrid, 21, was charged with one count of murder and two counts related to alleged drunk driving in the Aug. 10, 2024 crash that killed 30-year-old Marcus Eduardo Amaral, court records show. The case was filed in late July, and Esquivel-Madrid was released from jail last Aug. 4, after posting $500,000 bail.
Amaral was killed a little after midnight on the westbound lanes of Highway 24. Eyewitnesses told police his motorcycle was struck causing him to fall on the pavement and be hit by other oncoming cars.
Authorities allege that Esquivel-Madrid’s blood alcohol level was measured at .173 about two hours after the crash, and that he was traveling more than 110 miles per hour on Highway 24. When a California Highway Patrol officer responded to the crash, Esquivel-Madrid allegedly claimed he’d been driving a leisurely 65 miles per hour to a San Francisco nightclub but wasn’t paying full attention to the road.
One of two passengers in the BMW also told police the group had been drinking before they headed from Concord to San Francisco that night, authorities allege. After the crash, Esquivel-Madrid was arrested but then released, pending the conclusion of the police investigation.
Esquivel-Madrid is next due in court in November, for a preliminary hearing, records show. He has pleaded not guilty.