Following a fatal pedestrian incident in Glendale late June, authorities have reported an arrest. Katiya Deja Clark, 25, is facing hit-and-run charges after 21-year-old Tony Marie Gonzalez was struck and killed. The Glendale Police Department announced the development, which culminated from events occurring at around 8:45 p.m. near 73rd Avenue and Bell Road on June 23, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Court records, as cited by 12 News, reveal Clark was arrested on July 15. Initially, Clark had purportedly denied being behind the wheel, claiming she was a passenger. During later questioning by police, Clark admitted to driving the vehicle but alleged she thought she had hit either a concrete barrier or another car, not a person.
The investigation took a turn after Gonzalez, the victim, was reportedly thrown off a bridge over Skunk Creek following the impact, ultimately landing in the dry creek bed below. The aftermath of the incident saw Gonzalez taken to a hospital, where she could not be saved.
Clark's post-Miranda interview revealed a disconcerting account; "did not know she struck a pedestrian, and thought it was either a concrete barrier or another vehicle," she said, per detectives. Following the incident, Clark did contact authorities but failed to provide a factual recount of the events that took place. The suspect has claimed she "did not mean to or intend to kill anyone," according to information obtained from the interview records by FOX 10 Phoenix.
