BEAUMONT: Officials identify Dec. hit and run suspect that left victim in critical condition

BEAUMONT – City of Beaumont police officials announced that they identified and located a suspect who left a pedestrian in critical condition after a hit and run traffic collision Friday Dec. 23.

The incident happened in the area of California Avenue just north of 4th Street. After the female victim was struck, she was left  laying on the railroad tracks with major traumatic injuries, south of I-10 in Beaumont.

After an exhaustive and thorough investigation by Beaumont police officers and investigators – and with help received from information provided by citizens – officials identified and located Deborah Marie Salazar, 56, of Fontana. According to officials Salazar was the suspect who struck the victim and left her for dead on the railroad tracks.

The investigation began after City of Beaumont emergency dispatchers received several 911 calls from citizens reporting the vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision. The callers advised officials that a female had been struck by a vehicle. Callers told dispatchers the driver did not stop to render aid to the victim or call 911 to report the accident and immediately fled the area.

Officials have not named or publicly identified the victim.

Witnesses described the suspect’s vehicle as a silver Saab or Hyundai, possibly with out-of-state plates, a rear passenger tail light that appeared to be faded or cracked, and front passenger side bumper damage.

“Fortunately, an eyewitness was able to obtain the license plate number of the involved vehicle and turned that information over to officers at the scene,” officials explained.

With information provided by the witnesses, Beaumont Police Department detectives identified the suspect vehicle and located the registered owner. Their investigation, coupled with information provided by the public, resulted in the identification of the suspect.

Detectives located and seized the suspect’s vehicle and it is being processed for evidence, according to police officials.

“The Beaumont Police Department would like to thank the public for their assistance with this case,” officials explained. “Without information provided by key witnesses, Beaumont detectives would not have been able to locate the person responsible and proceed with criminal charges.”

Based on their investigation, detectives will be filing felony hit and run and felony driving under the influence charges against Salazar with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

“The investigation is ongoing and Detectives are working diligently to complete the case and file charges with the District Attorney’s Office,” officials explained.

Anyone with further  information about this case or who witnessed the hit and run is encouraged to contact Banning Police Detective Toshia Wells at (951) 572-3908 or Detective Sergeant Robert Galletta at (951) 572-3910.

For more breaking news, info, and issues related to Riverside County visit:

What is going on in Riverside County

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.