The Arlington Police Department has made an arrest in connection to the death of 21-year-old Areauna Laws who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run incident that occurred on June 23, 2024 along I-20.

Following a thorough investigation, traffic investigators obtained a warrant for the arrest of 26-year-old Josue Rodriguez on one count of Accident Involving Death. Members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force located him in Fort Worth on September 17, 2024 and took him into custody without incident.

The morning of the hit-and-run, witnesses provided investigators with a good description of the suspect vehicle, a tan 1975 Chevrolet Cheyenne, and informed them which way it drove off following the collision. Officers found the pickup truck abandoned not far from the crash scene in a shopping center parking lot in the 1100 block of W. I-20 Freeway.

Mr. Rodriguez is the registered owner of the vehicle. When officers initially questioned him, he denied being involved in the hit-and-run and told them the evening prior to the incident, he left his truck outside a venue along Camp Bowie Boulevard West in Benbrook where he’d attended a party. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses which showed an individual, believed to be Mr. Rodriguez, pulling up to the venue in the pickup truck and exiting the vehicle. A few hours later, the same individual is seen getting back into the pickup truck and driving away.

Cell phone records also showed that Mr. Rodriguez placed multiple phone calls from near the crash site in Arlington just prior to and after the collision. This is consistent with additional surveillance footage investigators obtained from businesses surrounding the parking lot where the pickup was recovered, which appear to show the driver talking on a cell phone.

Mr. Rodriguez was booked into the Tarrant County Jail where he is currently being held on a $40,000 bond.

The Arlington Police Department wants to remind all drivers if they’re ever involved in a crash where someone may be hurt, state law requires that they remain at or immediately return to the scene and wait for law enforcement to arrive -- AND to provide reasonable aid to anyone who is injured, such as reporting the crash to 911 and requesting EMS assistance.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

The Arlington Police Department is investigating a fatality crash that resulted in the death of a 21-year-old woman.

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, at approximately 5:01 a.m., officers responded to the westbound lanes of I-20 near Matlock Road to investigate a reported hit-and-run.

When they arrived, they found the woman lying unresponsive in the roadway. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Witnesses told investigators they saw a pickup truck driving erratically in the westbound lanes of I-20 just prior to the crash. They said the pickup eventually began driving on the shoulder.

Investigators believe the victim had pulled over to the shoulder due to car trouble and was standing outside when the pickup collided with both her and her vehicle.

The driver of the pickup did not stop and continued driving, crossing over the grassy median onto the I-20 frontage road. Officers later found the pickup abandoned in a shopping center parking lot not far from the crash scene.

Investigators are currently working to identify and locate the driver of the pickup. At this time, no arrests have been made.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the deceased once next of kin have been notified.