More than a year after 43-year-old Leandro Antonio was struck and killed while crossing Dunlap Avenue near 16th Avenue, his family says the investigation feels stuck in neutral. Detectives have turned up few solid leads, they say, and the people who loved Antonio describe a quiet, painful shift in their lives since his death in late January 2025.
Relatives remember Antonio as the life of the family, the one who lit up gatherings that now feel noticeably dimmer without him.
A rising national problem
Antonio's case is playing out against a grim national backdrop. A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that hit-and-run crashes are on the rise across the country, with about 15% of police-reported crashes in 2023 involving a driver who took off instead of stopping.
Arizona is far from immune. The same analysis shows that roughly 7.6% of fatal crashes in the state between 2017 and 2023 involved a fleeing driver, a sobering figure that puts Antonio's death in a much larger, troubling pattern.
Family pleads for closure
For Antonio's family, those statistics are personal. They are still waiting for someone to come forward, or for detectives to get the one tip that finally breaks the case.
"At least come forward, give us some closure," Antonio's sister said, describing how the hit-and-run has hollowed out family gatherings. Her plea and the family's ongoing frustration were detailed in a follow-up report by ABC15.
Police: tips sought, reward offered
The Phoenix Police Department opened a fatal-collision investigation under case number 2025-116141 and reported that the vehicle that hit Antonio left the area before officers arrived. According to a department media advisory, investigators are still asking the public for help and urging anyone with information to contact Silent Witness.
The department notes that tips leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 and that the advisory includes the precise location of the crash and other investigative details for potential witnesses who might recognize the circumstances (Phoenix Police Department).
Why some hit-and-run cases stall
Former law-enforcement officer Mike Butler told ABC15 that even when detectives have a vehicle in mind, proving who was behind the wheel at the exact moment of impact is often the hardest part.
"It is very difficult for law enforcement to zero in [on] who was driving the vehicle at that specific time," Butler said, explaining that investigators frequently have to lean on witness statements or surveillance footage to move a stalled case forward. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety similarly underscores that eyewitness accounts and video can be decisive, which is why officials keep urging people to share even small details that might seem insignificant.
Legal stakes for fleeing the scene
Under Arizona law, leaving the scene of a crash that causes death or serious physical injury is not just a bad decision, it is a serious felony. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-661 classifies failure to stop as a class 3 felony, and in some circumstances a class 2 felony if the driver is found to have caused the crash. A conviction can also bring multi-year driver's license revocations on top of any prison time.
How to help
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run that killed Antonio on Dunlap Avenue is asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department or call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO. Callers can remain anonymous, and tips that lead to an arrest may qualify for a cash reward.
Additional details about the case, including investigative contacts for potential witnesses, are listed in the Phoenix Police Department media advisory.
