Man Accused in Scooter Hit & Run Faced Judge Thursday
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A man accused of hitting a man riding a scooter then leaving the scene in West Miami, faced a judge Thursday in felony court.
Miami Police arrested 49-year old Robert Velazco on Wednesday shortly after the alleged incident. Police said he was drunk and had run a red light.
Just a day after his arrest, Velazco appeared before a judge in felony bond court. The judge set a $50,000 bond plus house arrest.
A police officer testified Thursday that the victim, Alexander Rodas, had a badly fractured femur, fractured jaw, and two brain hemorrhages from the incident.
The day before Velazco had appeared in misdemeanor bond court. Where he was ordered to be held on a $15,000 bond plus the bond set Thursday, totaling to $65,000.
The prosecutor told the Judge on Wednesday that Rodas had several fractures to his face, severe head trauma, was intubated at Jackson Memorial Hospital and might not survive his injuries. Rodas' family members had also said he had injuries to his face, head and leg.
The incident began just after midnight Wednesday when someone Rodas knows was riding Rodas' scooter and was pulled over by a West Miami police officer.
Rodas, his wife and one of their children went to pick up the scooter.
As he drove away on the scooter, Rodas' wife, Patricia Hernandez, said he was hit by a truck which was speeding southbound on Red Road and ran a red light at SW 8th Street.
Hernandez told CBS4, "We were standing right here. The car came by and ran the red light. The man hit him and fled. Just like you would run over an animal. He is my husband. Please let the full extent of the law fall on him. Because he is not an animal. He is a human being."
As Rodas' family rushed to help him, witnesses called 911.
"All I saw was a white truck coming down this street and he hit the motorcyclist and didn't come back or anything," said Noemi Hicks. "I saw the guy on the floor, he was bleeding a lot, he had blood all over his shirt. His legs, he looked like he had broken his legs, stuff like that."
"It's crazy. I was shocked. It could have been one of my family members," she said. "It was just horrible. It was horrific. You wouldn't want that to happen to anyone."
Detectives say they don't plan to charge the woman in Velazco's car, who they said led them to where Velazco was and that's where he was arrested.
The Judge on Wednesday, noted that Velazco had previous arrests in 2008 for drug possession and 2011 for possession of a firearm by a felon, even though Velazco stated in open court, "Your honor I have not been in trouble for 10 years. I made a mistake."
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