MIAMI – A 46-year-old man has been arrested following a hit-and-run crash in Miami that left a motorcyclist dead, authorities confirmed Friday morning.
Elton Suarez Mesa, of Miami, faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death and vehicular homicide.
According to his arrest report, Suarez Mesa was driving a red Toyota Corolla around 4:30 a.m. Thursday when he crashed into a motorcycle at the intersection of Northwest 47th Avenue and West Flagler Street.
Miami police said Suarez Mesa did not stop for the flashing red light at the intersection and crashed into the Harley Davidson motorcycle as it proceeded through a flashing yellow light.
According to the report, he crashed into the motorcycle before striking the outside of an animal hospital.
After the crash, surveillance video shows Suarez Mesa walking around the car and looking at the victim, Edgar Edmundo Sarduy Suarez, 50, as he laid unresponsive on the ground, the report stated.
Police said the victim had been pinned between the building and the vehicle.
Suarez Mesa then “ran back to the driver side of the vehicle in a frantic manner and searches inside the vehicle for something” before running away, the report stated.
Sarduy Suarez was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Loved ones told Local 10 News that Sarduy Suarez loved riding his motorcycle and was on his way to work at Miami International Airport when he was hit.
According to the arrest report, detectives identified Suarez Mesa as the driver due to fingerprints lifted from the vehicle along with several items inside the car that had his name and address on them.
He was found by police around 8:15 p.m. Thursday at a Shell gas station on Northwest 42nd Avenue and Seventh Street and was taken into custody.
According to the report, Suarez Mesa gave detectives a full confession to his involvement in the hit-and-run.
On Friday, a Miami-Dade judge set Suarez Meza’s bond at $50,000 for each one of the two charges and said that if he decides to post bond, he will be on an immigration hold.
Local 10 News reporter Christian De La Rosa contributed to this story.