A woman from El Salvador was indicted for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident after striking and killing a pedestrian who was crossing the street in Riverhead.
On October 5 at approximately 7:19 p.m., Silvia Alvarez DeReyes’ 1999 Toyota Corolla was traveling northbound on Flanders Road in Riverhead. As it passed through a crosswalk where Ever Eli Damian Mazat was walking, the vehicle was allegedly seen coming to a brief stop before then driving off. Mazat, 45, of Riverside, died at the scene as a result of the injuries he sustained from the crash.
Alvarez DeReyes allegedly left the scene without seeking assistance for the victim or contacting the police. Instead, she allegedly went to a friend’s house in Mastic after the collision. Two hours later, Alvarez DeReyes allegedly returned to the scene of the crash with her friends.
She was ultimately placed under arrest. The Corolla was later recovered at the friend’s home in Mastic and secured as evidence.
On October 28, Alvarez DeReyes, 46, was produced pursuant to a writ from the custody of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS-ICE). She was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski for one count of Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting, a Class D felony, and one count of Operating a Motor Vehicle Outside the Class of License, a Traffic Infraction.
Pilewski ordered Alvarez DeReyes remanded during the pendency of the case. She is due back in court on November 25 and faces two-and-a-third to seven years in prison if convicted on the top count.
DHS-ICE has lodged a detainer to return Alvarez DeReyes to ICE custody after she serves her sentence.
“This case underscores the serious consequences of fleeing the scene of a crash,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “When someone leaves the injured behind without contacting the police, they not only break the law but betray the basic standards of decency our community expects. Our office will continue to pursue justice for victims and hold offenders accountable.”