Jan 7, 2009 8:55 am US/Eastern
Police: Fatal Crash Was Homicide
ROSEDALE, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Police responded to the 1200-block of Neighbors Avenue for a call of a pedestrian struck Monday at 1:39 p.m.
CBS
A woman is hit and killed on a Baltimore County sidewalk. At first it looked like an accident, but police say it was anything but.
Mary Bubala has more on why one man is now charged with first-degree murder.
The driver in the crash, Jose Manuel Claros, admitted he meant to run over his 40-year-old estranged girlfriend, Gloria Restrepo, with her own truck.
"Everybody still doesn't believe it. Her daughter's having a hard time with it and the family," said Hillary Miklewski, victim's niece.
Charging documents say Gloria's daughter told police her mom and Claros had been arguing about his failing to pay her for using the truck and renting her house.
"She had advised [him] that she was going to go get the truck and that's where things get a little sketchy," said Cpl. Mike Hill, Baltimore County Police.
Restrepo was walking down the sidewalk when her boyfriend hit her with the truck, dragged her body through some yards and landed the truck right into a porch.
"We all thought it was done purposely. We were all out here for hours yesterday figuring it out for ourselves," said witness Robert Boeshore. "It was just the way it happened and the way he was acting. He was crying at first and then he stopped crying after a while."
At first, Claros said he lost control of the car but later admitted he lost control of his emotions.
"It's hard to believe that somebody can take somebody's life like that. It's just shocking," said neighbor Joann Robinson.
Police are still trying to figure out if the pair had a meeting when the crash happened or if it was coincidence Claros saw her on the street when he decided to run her over.
Claros is still in police custody awaiting a bail review.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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