Babylon Man Pleads Guilty After Fatal Freeport Hit-And-Run: NCDA

FREEPORT, NY — A Babylon man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges related to a fatal hit-and-run that occurred in March in Freeport, the Nassau County District Attorney's Office announced.

On March 25, Narcizo de Jesus Guerra Lopez, 66, was walking in the crosswalk near the intersection of East Merrick Road and South Main Street when he was struck by Michael Bonner, who fled the scene after, the DA's office said.

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Bonner, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 7 before Judge Caryn Fink to leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death (a D felony) and tampering with physical evidence (an E felony), prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Bonner is due back in court on Dec. 10 and is expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison.

DA Anne Donnelly thanked police officers and the NCDA's prosecutors for their work on the case.

"Michael Bonner struck Narcizo de Jesus Guerra Lopez in the crosswalk and heartlessly left him to die in the street," DA Donnelly said. "The defendant methodically attempted to cover his tracks and fled the state, leaving a grieving family behind to pick up the pieces. Today's guilty plea makes it clear that no one can run from their crimes in Nassau County."

At approximately 8 p.m. on March 25, Bonner was driving a 2001 uninsured and unregistered Chevrolet Suburban when he struck Lopez, who was crossing the street, DA Donnelly said.

Bonner continued to drive eastbound on East Merrick Road, fleeing the scene, prosecutors said.

Lopez was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery, but later died from his injuries on April 3, DA Donnelly said.

Prosecutors said that at the time of the crash, Bonner's vehicle had a distinctive large red sticker on the rear windshield and white foam above the rear passenger side tire.

NCPD detectives reviewed surveillance video footage and it was revealed that at about 7:57 p.m., he walked up to the driver's side of a vehicle with the same distinctive sticker and white foam above the tire, prosecutors said.

"Cell phone data obtained as part of the investigation also placed the defendant at the scene of the hit-and-run at the time of the crash," the DA's office said.

Bonner fled New York after the crash, traveling south to the Carolinas, where he was detected on March 28, and then drove back to New York in early April, prosecutors said. He was located in Nassau County on April 4 and arrested at about 12:40 p.m., the DA's office said.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicole Vota of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Michael Bushwack, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Daryl Levy, and Bonner is represented by Raymond Baierlein, Esq., the DA's office said.