SAN ANGELO, TX – The illegal alien who left a man for dead on the Mertzon Highway was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2020, deputies with the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to US Hwy 67 S., just two miles outside of the San Angelo city limits, for the report of a hit and run crash involving a pedestrian.
When Deputies, Troopers with the Department of Public Safety, fire and EMS arrived at the scene they found a hispanic male lying in the west bound lane of traffic.
A justice of the peace was then called to the scene and pronounced Jesus G Lopez deceased.
Witnesses statements were then taken and deputies learned that Lopez had been walking eastbound in the westbound lane when he was hit by an unknown vehicle. Authorities searched the area and found black paint chips as well as a Chevrolet emblem that looked like it belonged to a truck.
The following day a doctor from the South Plains Forensic Pathology of Lubbock confirmed that Lopez died of visceral injuries and blunt impact trauma.
On June 3 the case began to pick up after Grogan's Farm and Ranch found video of the suspected vehicle. After this discovery they headed to Irion County to search for more video evidence.
While attempting to locate the footage, TGCSO Sergeants discovered a black Chevy Silverado with extensive front end damage at the Mertzon RV Park. Before actually searching the truck the noticed that the hood and grill had been removed. The rest of the truck was covered by a tarp but the deputies did find blood on the front bumper.
After speaking with neighbors the sheriff's deputies learned that the car had not been damaged on May 29 or May 30.
A search warrant was issued and the truck seized. During the search the blood on the truck tested positive for human blood. The owner of the truck, Esgar Navarro, was then detained and interviewed. During the interview Navarro admitted to driving off after hitting Lopez.
Navarro was then arrested and charged with accident involving death. He was also placed on an ICE hold.
Navarro was indicted for the charge on Sep. 8, 2020. He had a number of hearings but never went to trial. Navarro and the District Attorney's Office made a deal that if Navarro plea guilty then he will receive 5 years in prison.
Being an illegal alien following his sentence he will probably be deported. Navarro never made bond during the length of his case.
Comments
after his sentence he will probably be deported, What a joke! Seems to me if the pedestrian was possibly alive and he purposely left him to die then that is no longer an accident, it's murder.
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