POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A man was arrested over the weekend, exactly a week after a fatal hit-and-run crash in Pompano Beach, Local 10 learned Tuesday.
Willian Eduardo Beltran Velasquez, 31, was arrested Sunday on charges of failing to stop at an accident involving death and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
The crash was reported around 4:15 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 13 along the 1700 block of North Dixie Highway.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies identified the victim as 43-year-old Don Larkin.
“He was the best and a good guy,” his mother, Annie Larkin, told Local 10 News. “You know you hit a person, so the least you can do is stop and see what happened.”
Annie Larkin said a recent injury left her son restless, leading him to go out for a walk in the wee hours of the morning.
His body was found in the middle of the road. Annie Larkin learned her son was dead when detectives arrived at her door.
Larkin’s family spoke with Local 10 days after the crash and shared that they had received a video over the weekend showing a car matching the description of the suspect vehicle. The video was given to investigators.
Deputies found car parts that they believe belonged to the suspect vehicle -- a 2008 to 2013 Nissan Rogue.
Beltran Velasquez appeared in bond court Monday, where he used a Spanish interpreter throughout the hearing.
During the bond hearing, he was ordered held on a $76,000 bond, placed under Level 2 house arrest with GPS monitoring, and prohibited from driving. He was also ordered to surrender his Salvadoran passport.
As of Tuesday evening, Beltran Velasquez remained at the Broward Main Jail.