NEWARK, N.J. (TNND) — A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed two women crossing a street 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.
Zapata-Vera faces multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide and two counts of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, as stated in a news release.
Prosecutors reported that Zapata-Vera struck the women while they were in a crosswalk on Saturday night 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.
According to WABC, the women had just left a World Cup watch party and were hit by a vehicle that reportedly sped through the intersection.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC (1-877-847-7432).
The investigation is ongoing.