Charges dropped against man who surrendered in DJ Jinx Paul's hit-and-run death

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Charges dropped against driver in DJ's hit-and-run death
Carolina Leid reports live.

EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Charges have been dropped against the man who turned himself into police in connection with the hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn that killed a popular New York City DJ earlier this week.

Law enforcement sources said there was not enough evidence to prove that the man detectives had in custody was driving the car when it struck 39-year-old Jean Paul Guerrero -- aka DJ Jinx Paul -- in East New York Monday morning. The sources cited a witness's report that described a woman getting out of the driver's side after the crash.

NYPD detectives initially tracked down the man through a body shop that his car was taken to later the same day. The man who took it to the shop insisted that he didn't want the car parked outside. The body shop worker replaced the windshield, but after seeing a news report about Guerrero's death, he called police.

Detectives ran the license plates and VIN number to identify the owner, who was the man who surrendered Thursday.

DJ Jinx Paul was on the air on La Mega 97.9. Funeral services were held Friday at Ortiz Funeral Home in Washington Heights, and his body will now be flown to Ecuador for burial.

The NYPD released surveillance video of the suspect's car. On Tuesday morning, city leaders demanded the driver come forward.

The NYPD released this video showing a car believed to be involved in a fatal hit-and-run-crash in Brooklyn.

Anyone with additional information is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).