NEWARK, N.J. (TNND) — A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed two women in Newark on Saturday night.
Authorities identified the suspect as David J. Zapata-Vera, who surrendered to police on Tuesday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. He faces charges of two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, and two counts of third-degree endangering an injured victim.
Prosecutors stated that Zapata-Vera struck the women while they were in a crosswalk, subsequently fleeing the scene. The victims, Mariana Elizabeth Valverde Beltran, 58, and Maria Isabel DeLosAngeles Salgado Ayala, 61, were transported to University Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Witnesses reported that the victims had just left a World Cup watch party prior to the incident. Video footage obtained by local media showed the vehicle at high speed going through the intersection, resulting in the women being thrown into the air.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is urging anyone with information about the crash to contact their Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. The investigation is ongoing.