Almost a year after a fatal hit-and-run incident took the life of 28-year-old Jonnier Agosto Cortes in Orange County, an arrest has been made. Rafael Rivera, 55, faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with evidence. On May 9, 2024, Cortes was struck on Curry Ford Road near Colton Drive, a moment that ended tragically with his death, WFTV reported.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Rivera, driving a Mitsubishi Galant, fled the scene immediately after the incident, later checking for damage in a store parking lot, as witnessed by security footage and bystanders. Found parked behind his house, the car was covered with a tarp by Rivera in a tampering with details to disguise the aftermath of the collision, detailed by ClickOrlando. Rivera's girlfriend corroborated the story, revealing that he called her post-accident, stating he had hit someone on a bicycle before hiding the vehicle.
The investigation into the driver responsible for Cortes' death turned a corner when surveillance footage from a Walgreens parking lot where the suspect stopped following the crash assisted officials in identifying Rivera's vehicle. According to court documents, Rivera's phone data placed him at the scene after the crash occurred, further implicating his involvement, FOX 35 Orlando reported. Additionally, tragic evidence in the form of DNA from the victim was found on the car's exterior, which the Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyzed.
Despite the arrest and damning evidence, Rivera entered a written plea of not guilty yesterday.
