A tragic head-on collision on Nicasio Valley Road early last Tuesday morning claimed the life of 19-year-old Carlos Enrique Verdugo-Cruz and left another person injured.
Carlos was the son of Gloria Cruz from Oaxaca and Eli Verdugo from Chiapas. Born in Lomas de Sotelo, where his father served as a military paratrooper, Carlos emigrated to the United States at just 1 year old. His father, well-known as a community fixture in Woodacre and Forest Knolls, has spent the past 15 years working as a builder in the region.
On the morning of the accident, Carlos was following his father from their home in Petaluma to Woodacre, where he often assisted with Eli’s house projects. They routinely took the route through Nicasio.
Carlos was approaching Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at around 8:10 a.m. when he failed to navigate a curve, crossing into the opposite lane and colliding with an oncoming S.U.V., the Marin County Sheriff’s Office reported. Both vehicles came to a stop in the middle of the roadway.
When emergency responders arrived, they found Carlos unresponsive. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver was extricated and transported to a hospital.
When Eli arrived at work and noticed that his son hadn’t arrived shortly after him, he grew concerned. After calling his wife, he retraced his route and came upon the devastating scene: his son’s car, severely damaged, with California Highway Patrol officers securing the area.
Carlos was a 2023 graduate of Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, where he was an avid soccer player and founded a league at the school. He was described as playing from dawn until dusk.
After graduation, he enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College, aiming to study mathematics and eventually become a radiologist. He harbored dreams of exploring the world—including Mexico, Spain and Japan—and he had a deep love for music, often freestyling and creating beats with his friends.
In the days following his passing, Carlos’s family—his brother, sister, parents and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles— gathered in their grief to share memories, struggling to speak of him in the past tense.
Those who knew and loved Carlos described him as a “big friendly giant,” a natural-born leader who was kind, honest and noble. He was a gentle soul who deeply loved his family and friends and was deeply loved in return.
One cousin recalled that Carlos’s reassuring presence gave him the courage to try anything, even riding a rollercoaster—an adventure that ended with shared tears but a sense of triumph. Another cousin reflected that the color white reminded him of Carlos, symbolizing his angelic nature.
Reflecting on her son’s life, Gloria said, “Carlos era una excelente persona y un excelente hijo, muy trabajador, siempre dispuesto a ayudar a los demás, con tantos sueños que quería cumplir. Carlos ahora es un ángel.”
“Carlos was an excellent person and an excellent son, very hardworking, always willing to help others, with so many dreams he wanted to fulfill. Carlos is now an angel.”
In the wake of the accident, Carlos’s 17-year-old sister, Julie Verdugo-Cruz, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for a memorial taking place at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 30 at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Sebastopol. Donations at can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-make-a-memorial-for-carlos-enrique-verdugo