Driver In Fatal Hit-And-Run Sentenced In Salem
POSTED: 12:05 pm PST December 17,
2009
UPDATED: 12:48 pm PST December 17,
2009
SALEM, Ore. -- An illegal immigrant who drove away after hitting a toddler in a Salem parking lot has been sentenced to one year and five months in prison.Juan Lopez-Perez pleaded guilty Thursday morning to failing to perform the duties of a driver in a crash.Defense attorney Steven Walls said his client left the scene Nov. 24 because a crowd was gathering, he feared for his safety and he was in the country illegally. Neither drugs nor alcohol contributed to the collision that killed his neighbor -- 2-year-old Erika Rubi Meza.Police found Erika on the ground and not moving. Rescue crews later pronounced the child dead at the scene.Walls said the 31-year-old Lopez-Perez has been married for 16 years, has three children and no prior criminal record.Previous Story:
- November 24, 2009: Police: Man Arrested On Hit-And-Run Charges
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