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Suspect Arrested in Fatal Weekend Hit and Run in Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Authorities in Santa Rosa on Wednesday morning arrested a suspect in a fatal weekend hit-and-run crash that left a 16-year-old girl dead.

Santa Rosa CHP investigators have been working to find the driver of the fatal crash since it happened Saturday morning, authorities said, though they offered no details regarding the fatal collision.

As the investigation unfolded, CHP investigators determined 27-year-old Jovan Velazquez of Santa Rosa was driving at the time of the crash. Velazquez fled the scene after the collision, leaving the victim behind.

Santa Rosa fatal hit-and-run arrest (1)
Jovan Velasquez is arrested by Santa Rosa PD

Wednesday morning, investigators from CHP Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Police Department, the Sonoma Sheriff's Department and several other local law enforcement agencies served a search warrant on a residence in Sonoma.

Velasquez was not at the residence in Sonoma, but additional information obtained by officers led the investigation back to Santa Rosa. Velazquez was located at a Santa Rosa residence and arrested.

Velazquez additionally had an outstanding warrant for sex crimes. He was booked at Sonoma County Jail on the outstanding warrant, felony hit and run and vehicular manslaughter. Authorities are also investigating whether Velazquez was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

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