MIAMI – An arrest has been made in a hit-and-run that killed a 24-year-old bicyclist in Miami in October.
According to Miami police, 45-year-old Christian Espinal was arrested Tuesday at his home in Miami Gardens.
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Miami police officers responded to the area of Northeast Biscayne Boulevard and 22nd Street around 3:15 a.m. on Oct. 30 to investigate a call about a hit-and-run involving a bicyclist with serious bodily injuries.
City of Miami Fire Rescue responded to the scene and pronounced Justine Avenet dead at the scene.
Avenet’s mother pleaded with the public in November to come forward if they had any information that would help lead to an arrest.
“We are begging you, begging you to come forward -- whoever might have seen anything,” she said.
According to investigators, Avenet was riding a pedal bicycle when she was hit by a vehicle. The driver never stopped.
Miami Police Detective Marvin Lopez told Local 10 News that the vehicle was badly damaged but was still functional following crash.
Detectives said that the vehicle they had been looking for was a 2018-2021, dark-colored Nissan Pathfinder (or similar) with damage to the front bumper and a missing front grill and emblem.
According to jail records, Espinal was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday where he had a warrant out for a magistrate hold.
Espinal is facing charges of leaving the scene of a crash and tampering with physical evidence. His bond has not been set.
