More than a year after 39-year-old Juan Lopez was fatally struck while crossing Cliff Drive, the man accused of leaving the scene has pleaded no contest in Santa Barbara County Superior Court — as Lopez’s family continues their wrongful death lawsuit, now including the City of Santa Barbara as a defendant.
On Monday, November 3, 57-year-old Brock Alexander Hoffman entered an open plea to one felony count of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death or serious permanent injury. He also admitted to a special allegation that the offense “involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness,” according to court documents.
Hoffman is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16 in Judge Stephen Foley’s courtroom. He remains out of custody. The maximum sentence he faces is four years in state prison, according to Deputy District Attorney Michelle Mossembekker, who is prosecuting the case.
The crash occurred just before midnight on June 29, 2024, near the intersection of Cliff Drive and Loma Alta. Hoffman, driving a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser, struck Lopez and left the scene. He turned himself in five days later, on July 4, and was released on $50,000 bail.
Lopez, a local father and Vons store manager, is lovingly remembered by his family. “He was loving, caring, just very humble,” his daughter, Trinity Lopez, said in an earlier interview.
As the criminal case moves toward resolution, the civil litigation continues to unfold. Court documents show Lopez’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hoffman in July 2024. They amended the complaint in February 2025 to name the City of Santa Barbara as a defendant, alleging the city knew the area was dangerous and had failed to implement planned safety improvements.
Both Hoffman and the city have denied the allegations. In June, the City of Santa Barbara filed a cross-complaint for indemnity and apportionment of fault, court records show.
The next hearing in the civil case is scheduled for January 26, 2026. Judge Colleen Sterne is presiding.
