MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A man has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a 69-year-old pedestrian in northwest Miami-Dade earlier this month, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Jose Alvarez, 51, was taken into custody Tuesday and is facing charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and attempting to tamper with physical evidence, according to jail records.
The crash happened shortly before 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the intersection of Northwest 131st Street and Northwest Seventh Avenue.
According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Alvarez was driving a 2019 Toyota Tundra northbound on Northwest Seventh Avenue when he struck Enrique De Moya, who was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk.
Police said Alvarez failed to stop following the crash and fled the scene.
Surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News last week captured a gray Toyota Tundra matching Alvarez’s vehicle speeding away moments after the collision. Investigators later recovered vehicle debris at the crash site and began canvassing the area.
Nearly two weeks later, detectives said they located the truck with recently replaced and repainted parts parked near Alvarez’s mobile home in Miami Gardens.
Investigators said they also found empty auto parts boxes in a nearby dumpster labeled for Toyota Tundra components.
They said Alvarez was brought in for questioning on Tuesday and gave a statement, the contents of which were redacted in his arrest report.
De Moya’s family told Local 10 News Wednesday that they were relived to hear that an arrest was made.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted off of our shoulders. It’s not going to bring him back but it definitely helps give our family some justice,” said Stephany Sarmiento De Moya, the victim’s granddaughter.
“This is only the beginning to a long road of healing,” said Steven De Moya, Enrique De Moya’s son.
Alvarez appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Wednesday, where a judge set the Cuban national’s bond at $52,500. He was also placed on an immigration hold.
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