ELKTON, Md. — After an 11 year-old was hit and killed while riding his bike across an intersection in Elkton, police say not only did the driver leave the scene, he tried to leave the country. But with the help of the community, he didn't get very far.
Nestor La Guillen Parra, 31, is accused of striking and killing Mesiah Lafayette on Saturday, November 16 at the intersection of Elkton Road and Belle Hill Road in Cecil County. Police say, according to witnesses, the light was changing from yellow to red as Mesiah and his friends biked across the intersection, but Parra attempted to speed through the yellow light.
Elkton Police and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force tracked Parra down to Wilmington on Tuesday night, where he was about to board a bus to Georgia, with a ticket under a different name. Police believe he intended to travel from Atlanta to Mexico.
"He was in the country legally, as a permanent resident alien status," Elkton Police Lieutenant Ron Odom told WMAR-2 News.
If he had made it to Mexico, Lt. Odom says, "It would have been extremely difficult, because once he got there, he could become a ghost."
There are still flowers and candles by the spot where the crash happened, left over from a vigil on Tuesday. Family and friends would later learn that it was during the same time they were praying for justice, that justice was being served.
"Then the next morning, we all wake up to - they caught the guy, and it happened to be just before 7 o'clock, when we were all gathered asking for justice, and that was big sigh of relief," George DeGrave, a friend of the family's, told WMAR-2 News.
DeGrave's children used to play with Mesiah often.
"He was very sweet. He was very outgoing. He shared whatever he had. You know, if he had candy, all the kids got candy," he recalled fondly.
When it was discovered that the driver who hit Mesiah on Saturday didn't stop to help, people in the Elkton community jumped into action. Neighbors spotted the car police were looking for hidden in a nearby parking lot with a tarp covering it. They handed over surveillance footage showing who had been driving it. Members of the Hispanic community tipped police off that Parra was about to flee.
"If it wasn't for that level of cooperation, we may not be where we are, and we certainly may not be where we are as fast as we are," Lt. Odom said.
Police said the vehicle is registered to Parra's relative, and he was borrowing it for the weekend.
They're still looking for more information to help build their case.
"Where our suspect was coming from, to try to pinpoint, was he coming from a bar? Was he potentially drinking, and maybe that's the reason why he didn't stop, or was it just because he did not have a legal right to drive, something that simple could have been the reason for him not stopping," Lt. Odom explained.
Although DeGrave says the Lafayette family finds some comfort knowing the suspect is no longer walking free, they're now struggling to lay their son to rest. They've started a GoFundMe hoping to raise enough money to give Mesiah the service he deserves.
"They were not prepared for something like this. And speaking on the family's behalf, they're on a financial hardship right now, you know, just living circumstances and everything else, this was the last thing they really needed," DeGrave said.
Parra was already extradited to Maryland where he's being held without bail on manslaughter charges. He's next due in court December 16.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. E. Donnelly at edonnelly@elktonpd.org or to call the Elkton Police Department at 410-398-4200.
