Man Accused of Running Over Two Children Flees the Country

The man accused of a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of one child and injuring another Saturday April 5, a 57 year-old Salvadoran man, Concepcion Cruz, has fled the country.

Police say the man boarded a plane Tuesday from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport headed to El Salvador.

Cruz allegedly ran over Caleb and Meyaria Lindsay as they stood next to their mother waiting to cross the road at the Tucker Walmart.  Caleb did not survive his injuries and his sister Meyaria was sent to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.  The children's mother, Vashiti Lindsey was unhurt.

DeKalb Police, the FBI and ICE are now collaborating to bring Cruz back to Georgia to face two felony counts of hit and run.  The FBI is leading the search to find Cruz, a resident alien, in his native El Salvador.

Video surveillance shows Cruz driving a white truck with a camper on the back, which fit eyewitness accounts.  Witnesses said that the driver of the truck drove up on the sidewalk, ran over the two children as they stood waiting with their mother, and turned onto Tucker-Norcross Road.  It was also reported that the driver of the truck stopped to throw a beer bottle out of the truck and kept driving.

It is believed that Cruz visits Atlanta often and may have family in the area.  His name was placed on the “no-fly” list, but it isn't clear just when that happened.  Cruz could have already fled the country before that was done.

I personally hope he is caught soon and brought to justice.  It's one thing for a person to make the state prove guilt beyond all reasonable doubt.  That is our system and I fully support it.  However, this person has fled the county and thumbed his nose at our system of justice.  Nothing bad enough can happen to him.