Arrest warrant issued for 26-year-old accused of fatal hit-and-run in Norristown: police
NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Police and the Montgomery County District Attorney announced Thursday that an arrest warrant is out for a Norristown man suspected in a hit-and-run crash on Sunday that killed 57-year-old Brian Clark.
Officers responding to reports of a hit-and-run found Clark lying in the street on the 300 block of West Main Street just before 11 pm with multiple injuries and in cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at Einstein Montgomery Hospital.
Authorities say they identified Jean Carlos Esmeraldas Cruz, 26, in surveillance video near the crash site.
The black Hyundai Santa Fe SUV police believe was driven by Cruz appeared in the footage with a non-functioning headlight and a damaged windshield.
Police recovered the vehicle Monday on East Wood Street with human hair in the windshield and covered by a sheet. Investigators found surveillance video directly following the crash that captured the driver and passenger leaving and returning with a sheet to cover the SUV.
Officials say they located the passenger from this video and discovered that the recovered vehicle is registered to Jean Landscaping. LLC. Investigators also found that Cruz did not have a driver's license.
Detectives have determined that Cruz was driving East onto Main Street when he struck Clark and sped away from the scene after turning onto Markley Street. They say Cruz and his passenger also returned on foot to watch police investigating the scene and vehicle, after which, Cruz fled.
Anyone with information about Cruz is asked to contact Montgomery County or Norristown police.