Former El Paso City Council member Joe Molinar was charged with failure to stop and report after a collision in a parking lot this summer, as El Paso Police confirmed. The incident, which took place on June 29 at the Quik Wok parking lot on Lomaland, led to the Special Traffic Investigations Unit being called to the scene, KTSM reports.
Molinar, who also has a background as a police officer, was seen on surveillance video reversing into a parked car before driving away from the collision. After the car's owner returned from their meal to discover the damage, the video promptly found its way to the internet, where it spurred public disapproval, KFOX-TV indicates. Notably, Molinar did not return to provide his insurance details until after the footage began to circulate.
The charges levelled against the former council member include Duty On Striking Unattended Vehicle, and he was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a bond set at $5,000, which he posted. KVIA notes that following his release, "Molinar reversed into a parked car" and "drove away from the collision," based on accounts from the Special Traffic Investigators supported by video evidence.
Former District One City Representative Brian Kennedy, who is representing Molinar in this matter, has not released an official statement regarding the charges or the incident as of yet, Banda, the owner of the vehicle involved, expressed shock when they returned from eating to find their vehicle had been hit, a sentiment echoed by many following the event. After bonding out, Molinar’s return to the scene to offer insurance information seemed to be in response to the growing scrutiny from the video's online presence, as reported by KFOX-TV.
