Port St. Lucie Man Charged in Fatal August Hit-And-Run

A 21-year-old man, Cesar Pastenes Vallejo, faces charges in connection with the hit-and-run death of 37-year-old Gardy Petit-Frere, which occurred on August 2 in Port St. Lucie. Vallejo was charged last Saturday for failing to remain at a crash involving death and for driving with a suspended license, his booking occurred following a meticulous investigation by local authorities.

According to a report from CBS12, the incident happened when Vallejo allegedly struck Petit-Frere who was riding his moped, the impact sending Petit-Frere onto a sidewalk, leaving him with severe injuries. Petit-Frere was heading to his overnight shift at FedEx when the tragedy unfolded, family members revealed in an interview with WPTV.

Following the incident, investigators were able to locate Vallejo's vehicle, a black GMC Sierra, at his residence which featured damage consistent with the crash. In their pursuit of justice, officials used a combination of video surveillance, cell-site records, and DNA evidence to tie Vallejo to the scene, as reported by WPTV. Vallejo's driver's license had been suspended since September 11, 2023, which only compounds the gravity of the charges he now faces.