Police Hunt For Hit-And-Run Driver That Left Father Dead In Bay Shore
BAY SHORE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Suffolk County have released surveillance video they hope will lead them to a driver involved in a fatal Christmas Day hit-and-run.
The collision happened just after 5 p.m. that day. Emmanuel DeJesus Cruz Zavala, 33, had just dropped off a money order for his three young children in El Salvador and took a cab to his mom's house in Bay Shore for Christmas dinner, to be followed by evening Mass.
But he was struck and left to die in front of his mother's home on Candlewood Road, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.
Since then, his mother, Zaila Esmerelda Zavala, has been saying prayers and lighting candles every day for the soul of her son.
The weeping mother said in Spanish that Emmanuel was her life and was the most hardworking, wonderful son a mother could hope to have.
A neighbor's camera caught the tragedy.
"Samaritans attempted to assist Mr. Zavala," said Timothy Sini, deputy police commissioner. "One individual brought him out of the roadway into safety, another individual attempted to provide medical assistance, and a third individual actually attempted to track down the suspect, but to no avail."
The driver fled in a compact or mid-sized gray or charcoal gray four-door sedan with a sunroof, police said. It likely sustained damage to the passenger-side fender or front of the vehicle.
Neighbor Carmen Ramirez said the whole street stopped eating Christmas dinner and ran to help.
"Everybody tried," said another neighbor, Rosa Blanco. "We called 911 right away, and I (was) screaming to the people who are there, 'Don't touch him, don't move.'"
It was then they realized the driver had sped away.
Letters have gone out to the town asking for stop signs and lights on busy Candlewood Road.
Police are offering a $5,000 reward for tips that lead to an arrest.
