SLO police believe Gallo workers were fatally struck by car while walking dog
A car likely struck and killed a San Luis Obispo couple who worked for E.&J. Gallo Winery, police in that city said Monday.
Matthew Chachere, 39, and Jennifer Besser, 36, were found under dense brush near the intersection of Sacramento Drive and Basil Lane on Nov. 22. That was several hours after police received a report of a dead dog in a creekbed, according to a news release.
Around 5:35 p.m. the day before, a car crashed on Sacramento Drive in the area near where the bodies were found, police said. According to the release, the vehicle hit the curb, a street sign and the bridge that spans the creek.
“We believe the car ran into the people,” Police Chief Rick Scott told the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Police believe Chachere and Besser were walking their dog when they were struck by the vehicle, the release said.
SLO couple worked together at Gallo winery
According to LinkedIn, Chachere was a workforce development specialist for Gallo and Besser was a senior planning analyst. The winery is headquartered in Modesto but has operations on the Central Coast and in other wine regions.
Chachere also had coached football at Davis and Ceres high schools in Stanislaus County.
He and Besser moved to their most current San Luis Obispo apartment this past summer, according to a neighbor and the leasing agent at the property. The two mostly kept to themselves, the neighbor said.
There was no evidence of foul play in the couple’s apartment, police said.
Detectives interviewed the driver of the car, a 24-year-old San Luis Obispo man, and police say he has been cooperative with the investigation.
According to police, the driver was not suspected of alcohol impairment. However, the agency said, excessive speed was a factor in the crash.
Police said criminal charges against the driver will be determined based on the evidence they find.
Report of dead dog leads to bodies
Police received reports of a deceased dog in the creekbed near the 3400 block of Sacramento Drive around 4:40 pm. Nov. 22, the release said.
Several hours later, a missing persons report was filed for Chachere and Besser, police said.
Family members were expecting the two to arrive in Modesto and provided the San Luis Obispo Police Department with photos of Chachere, Besser and their dog, the agency said.
A police dispatcher recognized the dog in the photo as the dog found dead in the creekbed, police said.
When officers returned to the area, they found Chachere and Besser’s bodies, police said.
Cal Poly linebacker
In 2001, Chachere graduated from Princeton High School in Cincinnati, according to Cal Poly Athletics spokesperson Eric Burdick.
Chachere was a linebacker on the Cal Poly football team from 2001 to 2005, Burdick said. He made 106 tackles and 15 sacks during his football career, Burdick said, making 65 of those tackles and 10 of those sacks during his senior year.
Chachere graduated from Cal Poly with a political science degree in 2007, according to university spokesperson Matt Lazier.
Scott said he could not provide further details about the Nov. 21 crash as the investigation is ongoing.
Police ask anyone with information relating to the case to contact Detective Jeff Koznek at 805-594-8005 or call Crime Stoppers at 805-549-7867 to share it anonymously.
This story was originally published November 28, 2022 at 7:31 PM.
