WPBN – According to New Mexico State Police, a man who reportedly hit and killed a cyclist over the weekend in Deming was apprehended using a sophisticated license plate recognition technology.
Officers from NM State Police were dispatched to a tragic collision involving a car and a bike along New Mexico Highway 11 close to milepost 8 at approximately 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
A passing car pulled over to inspect the scene after spotting trash and a bicycle in the mud off on the shoulder of the road. According to State Police, they saw a guy, identified as 69-year-old Kevin O’Leary, dead close to his bicycle and dialed 911.
According to State Police, there were no witnesses and the suspect vehicle had left the site.
A red car suspected of having front-end damage prompted a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) notice, according to State Police. The suspect car was identified by the State Police as a red 2011 Cadillac sedan using their license plate recognition technology.
NMSP was informed by the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection that a car that fit that description had entered Mexico right after the collision at the Columbus port of entry.
It was eventually determined that Noel Ronquillo Jr., 33, was the driver of the Cadillac. On Monday, Nov. 25, Ronquillo was arrested without incident after an arrest warrant was acquired for him.
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Ronquillo was accused of intentionally fleeing the scene of an accident involving serious injury or death as well as involuntary manslaughter.
“ALPR (automatic license plate recognition) technology has been widely praised for improving law enforcement’s ability to track and capture criminals” New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler stated. “In just a short time, this system identified a vehicle that was involved in a homicide, leading to an arrest. If not for this technology, this case might not have been solved so swiftly, and a dangerous offender might have still been on the street.”
