Hawthorne Driver Charged With Murder in 405 Freeway Crash That Killed LAPD Sergeant and Motorist
Mario Joseph Bickham, a 36‑year‑old Hawthorne resident, was denied bail and ordered to stay in custody after prosecutors charged him with two counts of second‑degree murder in a June 23, 2025 collision on the southbound 405 Freeway near Bel‑Air. The crash claimed the lives of 53‑year‑old LAPD Sergeant Shiou Deng and 34‑year‑old Jesús Garcia.
Bickham was taken into custody on Monday and appeared before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle on Tuesday. The judge refused bail and set an arraignment for August 11 in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
The collision unfolded just after 2 a.m. on June 23, 2025, on the southbound San Diego Freeway (I‑405) north of Moraga Drive. A court filing from Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall revealed that the data recorder in Bickham’s 2023 Nissan Maxima logged a speed of 112.5 mph five seconds before impact and recorded “hard brakes” in the seconds that followed.
The crash involved Bickham’s Maxima, the patrol SUV driven by Sergeant Deng, and a Toyota pickup owned by Garcia. Garcia’s vehicle had already been disabled in the HOV lane after an earlier hit‑and‑run, forcing a second vehicle to swerve into the median. When Deng activated his emergency lights, 33 cars passed safely before Bickham’s vehicle struck the patrol SUV.
Deng was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, where he was pronounced dead. Garcia was struck while outside his pickup and died at the scene. Bickham sustained serious injuries but survived.
In a motion filed Monday, the prosecutor alleged that Bickham’s driving record is “littered with minor and serious infractions” and that he has a pattern of reckless driving. Siddall said Bickham “has shown a pattern of recklessly endangering the public by using his vehicle in a manner extremely dangerous to human life despite repeated warnings.”
Bickham’s past citations include a speeding ticket for driving over 105 mph a month before the fatal crash, a citation that required a court appearance he failed to attend.
If convicted on the two murder counts, Bickham faces two life‑sentence terms. The upcoming hearing will decide whether he remains in custody pending arraignment.
Sergeant Deng had been promoted in 2023 and had served 26½ years with the LAPD, 17 of those in the Mental Evaluation Unit. He was assigned to the department’s West Los Angeles Division.
Jesus Garcia was described by his family as “a loving son, brother, uncle and friend whose kindness and warmth touched everyone he met.” A GoFundMe page set up by his family highlighted his character.
The incident has drawn attention to traffic safety on the 405, a corridor notorious for high speeds and congestion. The Los Angeles County Superior Court, the largest unified trial court in the United States, will oversee the case.
The case underscores the seriousness with which California courts treat fatal traffic collisions, especially when the victims include law‑enforcement officers. The outcome will be closely watched by the LAPD and the broader Los Angeles community.
The next scheduled hearing will determine whether Bickham remains in custody while awaiting arraignment.
