DJ Jinx Paul: City Officials, Friends Call for Hit-and-Run Driver to Surrender

HARLEM, NY — Dozens gathered Tuesday afternoon in front of the Harlem apartment building of 39-year-old Jean Paul Guerrero — known as La Mega 97.9's DJ Jinx Paul — to remember the DJ who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Brooklyn and to call on that driver to turn themselves into the police.

City Councilman Ydanis Rodrigues said that Guerrero's death brings a "sad day" for not only his family — and the 6-year-old son he leaves behind — but also for an entire city dealing with a "hit-and-run epidemic."

"We are gathered here because once again a driver has committed a reckless and cowardly act," Rodriguez said Tuesday. "They took a life on our streets and then drove away into the night."

"Today we are calling on whoever the driver was of that car... to turn themselves in immediately."

Other elected officials, including incoming State Senator Marisol Alcantara, incoming State Assemblymember Carmen De La Rosa and incoming Congressman Adriano Espaillat, spoke at Tuesday's press conference and urged the driver to surrender to police.

Officials also spoke about the need to reform state laws that punish drunk drivers more harshly than those that commit a hit-and-run, calling the laws a loophole that encourages fleeing the scene of an accident.

Several other DJs at La Mega 97.9 FM stood in front of Guerrero's Amsterdam Avenue apartment Tuesday to remember their friend and colleague. Eric Garcia, the General Manager of La Mega, said that people from Spanish-speaking countries around the world had been sending their condolences to the station.

"He was a man who was filled with humbleness and happiness," Garcia said Tuesday. "He was the soul of our radio station beloved by everybody. I still can't get over the amount of sympathy and support that we've gotten from everyone."

"He was a resident of Harlem, he loved Harlem, he loved being a New York City kid and he loved being on La Mega. It was his dream and it was stolen from him and the person responsible needs to come forward."

During Tuesday's press conference La Mega announced that it is offering a reward of $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest, in addition to the $2,000 reward being offered by Crimestoppers.

Guerrero was hit by a dark-colored sedan while crossing the intersection of Jamaica and Sheffield avenues around 4 a.m. Monday morning, NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas Chan said at Tuesday. Guerrero was crossing the street to get into a cab after DJing an event at a nearby nightclub.

First responders found Guerrero unconscious, unresponsive and suffering from severe trauma to his body, police told Patch. Guerrero was taken to Brookdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Police are currently searching for the dark four-door sedan, which is believed to have a cracked or damaged windshield, Chan said Tuesday. A woman was seen exiting the vehicle, but it is unknown whether she was operating the vehicle when it hit Guerrero, Chan said. The vehicle itself was last seen turning onto Eastern Parkway from Fulton Street in Brooklyn, Chan said Tuesday.

A vigil will be held Tuesday night at 7 p.m. for Guerrero at 43 Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn.

Lead photo courtesy of La Mega 97.9