Arcadia man charged with manslaughter in death of actor’s son

An Arcardia man was charged today with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the death of the 21-year-old son of actor and motorcycle racing champion Bruce Penhall.

Tatsuhiko Sakamoto, 37, also was charged  with DUI causing injury, driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol causing injury and a special allegation of causing great bodily injury. He is being held on $200,000 bail.

Sakamoto allegedly struck and killed Connor Penhall, of Corona, who was doing construction work on a closed section of the westbound side of the San Bernardino 10 Freeway. Sakamoto allegedly drove through traffic cones closing the freeway at Francisquito Avenue about midnight Thursday. Penhall was pronounced dead at the scene, said the California Highway Patrol.

Sakamoto is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at Pomona Superior Court, Department N.

The case has been assigned to Deputy District Attorney Christopher Stogel to prosecute.

If convicted, Sakamoto faces up to 10 years in state prison.