PERTH AMBOY, N.J. — A 23-year-old Perth Amboy resident has been charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian Friday evening, officials announced Saturday.
Police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck on Elm Street between Market Street and Riverview Drive at approximately 6:20 p.m. on December 6. Upon arrival, officers found Gladis Ruiz, 57, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, who had been critically injured. Ruiz was transported to a local hospital, where she later died of her injuries, authorities said.
Detectives determined that Ruiz was crossing Elm Street on her way home from work when she was struck by a 2010 Hyundai Sonata, which fled the scene immediately after the collision.
On December 7, the vehicle’s driver, Jarleidys A. Bautista, was arrested without incident. Bautista faces charges including second-degree leaving the scene of an accident and third-degree endangering an injured victim. She is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pre-trial detention hearing.
The investigation, led by Detective Kyle Savoia of the Perth Amboy Police Department and Detective James Alleva of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, remains ongoing as authorities work to uncover further details of the incident.
The arrest brings attention to the tragic circumstances surrounding the collision and the ongoing efforts to ensure accountability.
