Suspect in Stamford hit-and-run crash that killed child makes 1st court appearance
Juan Carlos Umana-Umana, 41, of Stamford, is charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle.
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The seasons have changed, but a makeshift memorial remains on Courtland Avenue in Stamford—a reminder of the kind and hardworking boy whose life ended there on Aug. 2.
Stamford police said Brisley Reyes, 12, of Stamford, was on his minibike that night accompanied by his dad on a scooter. The two had pulled over on the shoulder when a car slammed into the minibike, causing Reyes to be thrown from the minibike into a home’s yard, police said. The car never stopped and fled the scene, according to police.
On Thursday, over three months later, the man accused of being the driver made his first appearance in Stamford Superior Court. Juan Carlos Umana-Umana, 41, of Stamford, is charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility and tampering with evidence. Police said Umana-Umana turned himself in Oct. 27 after they secured a warrant for his arrest. He was released on a $200,000 bond.
In court, the case was transferred to Part A, which handles more serious criminal cases. It was continued until April 6 because the prosecutor on the case is tied up with another matter.
“My client is presumed to be innocent. We live in a culture in which that presumption has been denigrated, and he's entitled to that presumption until the state meets its burden of proof,” attorney Matthew Maddox, who represents Umana-Umana, said after the brief hearing.
According to the arrest warrant, police used surveillance cameras around the city to track the car's movements and ultimately identify Umana-Umana, who told police he had an attorney and would not speak with investigators. The warrant said before the crash, Umana-Umana was at a restaurant where one employee said he had at least one beer and one shot of liquor but appeared normal leaving. Another employee told police he “seemed tipsy but not belligerent,” according to the warrant.
Police later found Umana-Umana’s damaged car in his driveway under a tarp with the license plates removed, the warrant said.
“There is still discovery, there are still proceedings, there is a lot of information and data and forensic evidence that we still have to gather in order to prepare the case either for resolution or trial,” Maddox stated.
Reyes was a rising seventh grader at Dolan Middle School, which has felt his loss deeply. Last month, the school honored him by planting a tree in his memory.
“This is a terrible tragedy and expressing condolences for a loss seems insufficient, but certainly I can express condolences and extreme sympathy for the family,” Maddox said.
