A person has been arrested in the hit-and-run that left a 12-year-old boy seriously hurt in Marlboro, Massachusetts, Sunday night, police say.
"A car has been seized and the suspect will be transported to the Marlborough District Court later this afternoon for arraignment," Marlboro police said in a Facebook post Monday.
Police arrested 19-year-old Andy Lopez on charges of leaving the scene of a crash, driving without a license and filing a false insurance claim.
Lopez appeared in court Monday. Authorities say human hair and milk was found on the passenger side of his blue Toyota Highlander.
A judge ordered Lopez to be held on $5,000 bail. He was told not to drive at all and to stay away from witnesses.
The victim, 12-year-old Dominic Matos, remains in the hospital with very serious injuries. He was riding his bicycle along Route 20 in Marlboro when the SUV allegedly struck him and kept going before noon Sunday.
“I want him to be able to hug me and I just want to hold my baby,” said Desirae Ayala, the mother of 12-year-old Dominic Matos. "He has a skull fracture, and he has a bleed on his brain."
She said her little boy, who was just getting ready for 7th grade and played a football game this weekend, was now on a ventilator, unable to talk or move.
Marlborough police said the driver kept going westbound and then turned into the back entrance of Ghiloni Park.
“There was no other car around him,” said Ayala. “He could have swerved and instead he sped up, and he plowed through my baby, he sent my son all the way to that tree.”
Ayala had a message for the driver or anyone who may be able to help police catch the driver.
“Turn yourself in, you [expletive] coward, turn yourself in,” said Ayala, “I need to catch this guy, help me get justice for my baby, he’s fighting for his life.”
Anyone with information about the incident has been urged to call police at 508-485-1212, ext. 36946.
