ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando man was arrested Wednesday in connection with striking and killed a pedestrian back in 2021, an affidavit shows.
Joe Patrick Mputu, 30, is accused of being behind the wheel of the yellow Chevrolet Camaro that hit a pedestrian on East Colonial Drive near Goldenrod Road on March 19, 2021, around 1:16 a.m., according to Florida Highway Patrol.
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FHP said the vehicle struck the pedestrian, later identified as 22-year old Joshua Sanchez, who walked into the path of the vehicle outside a designated marked crosswalk. Troopers said the driver then fled the scene.
Damage to the Camaro, which was found at an apartment complex on North Alafaya Trail a day after the crash occurred, was consistent with a pedestrian strike, troopers said. FHP added that samples of blood taken from the pedestrian matched the swabs taken from the car.
A witness later contacted troopers via Crimeline and said that overheard her boyfriend talking to Mputu, who said he ran over a pedestrian. According to FHP, the witness then said her boyfriend brought Mputu into their home because “he was involved in a hit and run crash and needed somewhere to stay.”
She also identified Mputu as the suspect from a photo lineup, according to the affidavit.
Mputu is facing charges of fleeing the scene of a crash with death and tampering with physical evidence, since the car was found covered.
He is currently being held on a $6,000 bond.
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