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Just Friday in this space, we talked about the growing epidemic of serious metro-area hit and run accidents in the context of updates on the Jenna Breen and Tim Albo crashes.
A February 11 incident continued this trend by way of a chain reaction smash-up that led to the arrest of Jesus Armenta.
According to the Denver Police Department, a Dodge Neon was traveling southbound on South Federal Boulevard at around 12:38 a.m. Saturday when it was struck from behind by a Mercury Mountaineer SUV — contact severe enough to cause the Neon’s driver to lose control. The vehicle traveled into the northbound lanes of Federal, where it was hit by a white van.
The driver and passenger of the Neon were seriously injured in the crackup. Nonetheless, Armenta fled the scene, prompting a DPD bulletin for the Mountaineer, complete with license plate info. This degree of specificity suggested that it was only a matter of time before cops would draw a bead on the SUV’s registered owner — and yesterday, the department announced that the Mountaineer was found at 2nd and Federal and Armenta had been taken into custody.
According to the Denver Post, Armenta has a previous mark on his record owing to a July 2010 arrest for disturbing the peace and misdemeanor assault. The bust reportedly earned him a one-year probationary sentence — but the events of this weekend could score him harsher punishment.
Look below to see a larger version of Armenta’s mug shot, which clearly shows what appear to be facial lacerations.
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More from our Follow That Story archive: “Brandon Mondragon does less time in jail than his hit-&-run victim, Tim Albo, spent in rehab.”
