According to the district attorney, a former Queens resident, now living in Alabama, has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run in 2021 that resulted in the death of a 79-year-old woman.
On Thursday, Edward Garzón, age 43, was arraigned on the accusation of leaving the scene of a deadly accident close to the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale. If found guilty, Garzón could be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 22.
On December 13, 2021, Garzón allegedly committed a series of events. At around 4:50 p.m. that day, he was driving a black 2015 Mercedes Benz S550 while headed eastbound on Cooper Avenue between 82nd and 83rd streets. It was during this time that Helena Conti, a resident of Queens, was walking across the street.
According to reports, the Mercedes was discovered by investigators at a nearby auto body shop, following the filing of an insurance claim regarding the damage.
Afterward, Conti’s DNA samples that matched his profile were obtained from several parts of the car, including the windshield and headlights.
According to Melinda Katz, the Queens District Attorney, a Vehicular Homicide Unit was established with the aim of ensuring that every family affected by vehicular homicide gets the closure they deserve. This unit comprises of experts who not only look into current unsolved cases but also investigate older ones. In collaboration with the NYPD, unsolved cases have been reviewed and a defendant has been held accountable for causing the death of a woman who was hit and abandoned on a Queens street in December 2021.
