$25,000 Reward Offered In Fatal Garden City Park Hit-Run
GARDEN CITY PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Authorities on Long Island want your help catching the person who killed a 72-year-old grandmother in hit-and-run in Garden City Park back in January.
Catarina Lima was struck on Nassau Boulevard near 7th Street in Garden City Park at around 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 30. She was crossing Nassau Boulevard when she was struck, officials said.
Authorities say she was dragged by the vehicle and left to die.
The vehicle that struck her kept traveling northbound toward Marcus Avenue.
Lima was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Her family is pleading for the hit-and-run driver to come forward. They spoke at a news conference held just steps form where Lima was left.
"Our family needs some closure. We need to know you know what you've done and that you're sorry about it," Lima's daughter Samantha Strong said.
The family has no clue who hit her.
"I'm capable of forgiveness, but I can't forgive someone if I don't know who they are," Strong said.
Fiercely independant, Lima had turned down an offer for a ride home after having just had dinner at a nearby shopping center. Her family says she didn't want to inconvenience anyone.
"How can you hit somebody and not know you hit somebody," Lima's sister Alice Viegas said.
"You can't leave someone in the road. And who knows, maybe those couple of moments, she could have survived," said Strong. "They left her there like a piece of trash."
Only one driver stopped, but didn't get a good look at the car. Nassau County Police have canvassed hundreds, but with no useful surveillance video, they have no car description.
"It's a dark roadway, these are older type street lights, and there was dark clothing on," said Nassau County Police Det. Gary Ferrucci.
Crime Stoppers and her family have stepped forward to offer a combined $25,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
With the high volume of traffic on Nassau Boulevard at that hour, police are hoping the large reward will refresh memories.
Autobody shops are also eligible: The car probably had front-end damage.
Anyone with any information is asked to call 1-800-244-TIPS (8477).
