Arrest Made in Miami Hit-and-Run Incident Resulting in Cyclist’s Death

Arrest Made in Miami Hit-and-Run Incident Resulting in Cyclist's Death

MIAMI – A person has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run incident in Miami that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old cyclist in October.

Christian Espinal, aged 45, was apprehended on Tuesday at his residence in Miami Gardens by the Miami police.

The incident occurred on October 30 when Miami police officers received a report of a hit-and-run involving a cyclist with serious injuries at the intersection of Northeast Biscayne Boulevard and 22nd Street around 3:15 a.m. Justine Avenet, the 24-year-old cyclist, was pronounced dead at the scene by City of Miami Fire Rescue.

In November, Avenet’s mother made a plea to the public, urging anyone with information related to the incident to come forward and assist in identifying the responsible party.

Investigation revealed that Avenet was riding a pedal bicycle when she was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene. Despite sustaining significant damage, the vehicle remained operational after the crash, according to Miami Police Detective Marvin Lopez.

Detectives had been searching for a dark-colored Nissan Pathfinder, manufactured between 2018 and 2021, or a similar vehicle, with noticeable damage to the front bumper and missing front grill and emblem.

According to jail records, Espinal was taken into custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Tuesday at approximately 1:30 p.m. He had an existing warrant for a magistrate hold.

Espinal is now facing charges of leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with physical evidence. At present, his bail amount has not been determined.

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