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Suspected Las Cruces Hit And Run Driver Charged

  The driver suspected in Monday’s hit-and-run crash on Picacho Avenue that injured two teenage girls has been arrested and charged with various offenses.

Rudalfo Villegas, 81, was arrested Thursday evening and is charged with two counts of failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, two counts of failure to render aid, one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury, one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in great bodily injury and one count of failing to immediately provide notice of an accident.

The leaving the scene of an accident resulting in great bodily injury is a felony offense. Villegas was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center and has already posted bond.

The twin 16-year-old girls were in a designated crosswalk when they were struck by a white Ford pickup driven by Villegas. One of the girls was treated and released from Memorial Medical Center. Her twin sister was airlifted to University Medical Center of El Paso where she remains in critical condition.

The crash occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, on Picacho Avenue just west of Melendres Street.

Witnesses told police the girls were walking north, across Picacho Avenue, in the crosswalk near Lions Park. Most vehicles stopped for the girls but a white Ford pickup driven by Villegas and traveling westbound in the outside lane failed to yield for the teens.

Traffic investigators learned that Villegas failed to immediately stop after his vehicle struck the girls. He allegedly drove a couple hundred feet after striking the girls before briefly stopping. Witnesses told police Villegas walked back to where the girls lay on the ground before returning to his pickup and driving away.

Just moments after the crash was reported, Las Cruces Police located Villegas and his pickup a few blocks away and conducted a traffic stop.

Information from Las Cruces Police