The brawl began late Jan. 26 on the 700 block of San Justo Court when eight to 10 people started fighting with bats and sticks. Officers arrived at 9:40 p.m. to find friends of Sunnyvale resident Carlos Ceja preparing to drive him to Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Ceja had been hit by a car. The officers administered first aid and called an ambulance to transport Ceja to the hospital.

According to Capt. Byron Pipkin of the public safety department, Ceja died shortly after arriving at the hospital or on the way there. The incident is Sunnyvale's first homicide of the year.

Felix Benitez has been implicated in Ceja's death, as he allegedly drove the car that struck Ceja. But the public safety department released him last week because they haven't been able to show that Ceja committed a criminal act. It could have been an accident, Pipkin said.

Pipkin says Benitez may have been in fear for his life and backed up and hit Ceja to try to get away.

Pipkin said that emergency calls made from that neighborhood of Sunnyvale don't reflect any trends of violence and that the homicide was an isolated incident.

Officers are in the process of interviewing witnesses to determine whether Benitez is at fault.

Authorities ask anyone with information to call Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Detective Tim Ahearn at 408.730.7174 or Detective Eric Suzuki at 408.730.7130.