A 39-year-old man has been charged in the 2023 hit-and-run death of pedestrian, police said.
The suspect, Kenneth Steele, of 42 Groton St., Hartford, had to be extradited from Arizona and is charged with evading responsibility involving death, police said.
The victim, Omar Espinal, 36, of 240 Laurel St. Hartford, died at an area hospital on Oct. 5, 2023 after being hit by a car in the 100 block of Hamilton Street, police said.
Police said officers went to Hamilton Street that day after receiving a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle. The pedestrian was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased, police said.
“The driver of the motor vehicle evaded and fled the scene prior to police arrival,” police said. “The Harford Police Crime Scene Division launched an extensive investigation and obtained a felony arrest warrant for the (alleged) evading driver.”
Then, on Saturday, September 27, the State’s Attorney’s office extradited the driver from Arizona to Connecticut where he was charged and held on a $250,000.00 bond, police said.
Further details were not available Sunday. Police did not say why Steele was in Arizona.
