DES MOINES, IA – Authorities have identified a woman killed in a late-night hit-and-run incident on East Railroad Avenue.
According to the Des Moines Police Department, officers responded to reports of a pedestrian struck in the roadway at approximately 2:01 a.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, they found 61-year-old Kathleen Jean Peterson deceased at the scene.
Police reported that the driver involved fled before officers arrived. The department's Traffic Unit initiated an investigation to identify the responsible vehicle and driver. Surveillance footage from local businesses, residential cameras, and city traffic cameras directed investigators toward the Easter Lake neighborhood on the south side of the city.
Detectives canvassed the area and located the suspect vehicle at an apartment complex in the 2100 block of King Avenue around 2 p.m. Further investigation identified the driver as 28-year-old Ludvin Zuniga Sarceno. He has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, a Class D felony, alongside misdemeanor charges for driving without a valid license and lacking proof of insurance.
The Des Moines Police Department stated that the Traffic Unit's investigation remains ongoing, with additional information to be released as it becomes available.