Man pleads guilty after coverup attempt in fatal Freeport hit-and-run
Prosecutors say Michael Bonner, 41, struck Narcizo de Jesus Guerra Lopez near the intersection of East Merrick Road and South Main Street on March 25.
More Stories
A Babylon man pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run crash that left a 66-year-old dead in Freeport, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Michael Bonner, 41, struck Narcizo de Jesus Guerra Lopez near the intersection of East Merrick Road and South Main Street around 8 p.m. on March 25. Guerra Lopez was making his way through the crosswalk when the uninsured, unregistered vehicle made impact.
Responders rushed him to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in critical condition. He received emergency surgery but later died on April 3.
Detectives conducting the investigation discovered that Bonner’s vehicle had a distinctive red sticker on its rear windshield. They say he removed it following the crash.
Cell phone data and an extensive review of surveillance footage helped police identify him. Prosecutors say he fled to the Carolina’s on March 28 before being detected and returning to New York.
Police pulled him over on April 4 and took him into custody at the scene. He was charged with leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death and tampering with physical evidence.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly called Bonner’s actions “heartless” in a release announcing the guilty plea.
“The defendant methodically attempted to cover his tracks and fled the state, leaving a grieving family behind to pick up the pieces. Today’s guilty plea makes it clear that no one can run from their crimes in Nassau County,” she said.
He is due back in court on Dec. 10 and expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison. The NCDA recommends a sentence of two to six years in prison.
