Yakima County Sheriff Identifies Suspect in Fatal Hit and Run
The Yakima County Sheriff's Office Detectives have identified a suspect in the June 12 fatal hit and run crash that killed 66-year-old Wendy Baker of Yakima. The suspect is not in custody and deputies are now searching for the person to make an arrest. Even though authorities know the name of the suspect no name has been released to local press.
Baker died June 12 in a crash on Summitview Avenue
Baker, a retired Yakima Valley College nursing director was killed Sunday, June 12 as she was riding her bicycle with a group of other bikers in the 11000 block of Summitview Avenue. Yakima County Sheriff's Detectives have been gathering evidence from the suspect vehicle, a GMC Denali Pickup, since it was found at a construction site on Postma Road last Friday.
Prosecutors are starting a build a case
As the investigation continues prosecutors know they'll have to prove the suspect was the driver on the day of the fatal crash. Authorities say they're now gathering electronic evidence that could place the driver in the vehicle. Detectives are now obtaining search warrants to examine the truck computer, cell phones and other electronics that could help in the prosecution of the case.
Yakima Police helped in the initial part of the investigation
The suspect has not been named and no arrest has been made.
Yakima Police helped locate in the vehicle on city streets hours before the crash through the use of the city FLOCK camera system which reads license plates. That means authorities had the license plate of the vehicle hours after the crash. They won't say how the plate was obtained but a witness to the crash followed the suspect vehicle after the crash before the driver fled in the 13000 block of Summitview Road.
If you were a witness of the crash or have information that could help in the investigation contact the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at 509-574-2500 or Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 800-248-9980.