NORTH CHARLESTON — Xavier Marcelino Rosado, 29, pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and two counts of felony hit-and-run with injury on July 28 in connection with a 2021 hit-and-run that killed 23-year-old Jennifer Anne Demyan.
Rosado was sentenced to 10 years in prison but will receive credit for five months already served. He initially faced trial in Charleston County Circuit Court during the last week of July.
According to authorities, Rosado rear-ended a 2016 Nissan with his 2004 Porsche on Interstate 26 eastbound near mile marker 214 around 12:55 a.m. on October 4, 2021. The impact caused the death of Demyan, a College of Charleston graduate, while a male passenger suffered serious injuries.
After the collision, Rosado fled the scene and later reported his vehicle stolen, claiming he was attacked by three men in a bar parking lot. However, police reported inconsistencies in his story and noted he had no visible injuries corroborating his claims.
The Charleston County Coroner's Office confirmed Demyan's identity, and her family established an endowed memorial scholarship in her honor.
Bret Demyan, her father, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rosado, settling for $650,000 months later. At the time of the crash, Rosado was free on bond from an unrelated theft charge.