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 multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide and two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
Witnesses reported that Zapata-Vera struck the women while they were in a crosswalk before 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.
Prosecutors indicated that the two women had just left a World Cup watch party before the incident occurred. Video footage obtained by WABC shows the vehicle speeding through the intersection, resulting in the women being thrown into the air.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the crash is urged to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.