SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A man was arrested in connection with a November 2021 hit-and-run crash in Otay Mesa West that left a bicyclist dead, San Diego Police announced Tuesday.
SDPD officials said Homicide detectives identified 51-year-old Fernando Salazar as the suspect in the Nov. 25 death of 40-year-old Octavio Mendoza.
According to police, Mendoza was riding a bicycle in the 3700 block of Arey Drive just before 11:30 a.m. when he was hit by a vehicle that then fled the scene.
Mendoza was taken to the hospital after the collision but died from his injuries after arrival.
Through their investigation, SDPD Homicide detectives “established the collision was an intentional act …,” and they gathered evidence and information that allowed them to identify Salazar as the suspected driver in the hit-and-run case.
Police officials said Salazar was “stopped crossing northbound at the San Ysidro Port of Entry” on the morning of March 7, and he was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Salazar was booked into San Diego County Jail, police said.
Additional details on the case, including a possible motive and whether the suspect and victim knew each other, were not immediately released.
