Police Fear Hit & Run Suspect May Have Fled Colorado
DENVER (CBS4)- There are new developments in deadly hit-and-run that killed cyclist.
Police have identified a suspect, but fear he may leave the country. The hit-and-run happened on 1st Avenue and North Gilpin Street in Denver, near the Denver Country Club in June.
Denver police have an arrest warrant for 37-year-old Armando Rafael Olaciregui. Police believe he killed Drew Dietrich in a hit-and-run this summer. CBS4 spoke with the good Samaritan who helped the young man who was crossing the street on his bike.
Alisha Beston stopped to help the victim.
"I want his family to know that there were people there. I was holding his hand and he had people trying to comfort him as much as we could," she said.
Police say the Fiat 500 Olaciregui was driving is his car. It was found abandoned at the Whole Foods parking lot in Cherry Creek. It took detectives several months to issue an arrest warrant because they had a lot to prove to build a case.
Lt. Rob Rock of Denver police says the accident happened at 1:30 a.m. with few people around.
"We had to put a lot of forensic evidence together," Rock said. "In order to prove a hit-and-run charge, we have to prove not only the vehicle, but the driver. That takes forensics in the form of DNA. It takes developing additional witnesses after the fact."
Olaciregui is from Colombia but living in North Denver. He's also lived in California and Florida.
Detectives say they received tips that the suspect may have left the country, but they believe it's more likely that he fled the state but is still in the U.S.
"Somebody's seen him, somebody knows where he is, somebody is a friend of his," said Rock.
Beston says seeing Dietrich struggle in his last minutes of his life was heartbreaking and difficult to watch. She does not understand why anyone would leave a person to die.
"I hope they turn themselves in because living life with that guilt is going to tear them apart," she said.
Dietrich's friends have printed and selling T-shirts to raise awareness about bicycle safety. The money raised will go to helping his family with funeral expenses.
Additional Information From The Denver Police Department
Remain anonymous and earn up to $2,000. Call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867). Text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter the message, or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com; or use the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers mobile app which is immediately available as a free download on smartphones.
Jennifer Brice is a reporter with CBS4 focusing on crime and courts. Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter @CBS4Jenn.
