ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Court records show that a man in the Orange County jail is suspected in a an almost year-old hit-and-run that left a man dead.
Rafael Rivera, 55, is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and evidence tampering.
According to the arrest affidavit, Rivera was driving a Mitsubishi Galant on May 9, 2024 when he struck a pedestrian at Ford Curry Road and Colton Drive. That pedestrian, identified as Jonnier Agosto Cortes, was killed.
Troopers say Rivera kept driving, then parked outside a store and checked the car for damage before leaving again.
Witnesses and the store’s security video helped identify the car. Rivera was later determined to be the driver.
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