Juan Leonardo Parra Altamirano arrested in deadly West Bridgewater hit-and-run on Route 24
WEST BRIDGEWATER - A Brockton man wanted in a deadly hit-and-run from earlier this week in West Bridgewater has turned himself in.
Juan Leonardo Parra Altamirano, 33, has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury resulting in death, leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury, and leaving the scene of a crash that caused property damage. He was arraigned Thursday afternoon in Brockton District Court.
Police said Altamirano struck a car driven by 46-year-old Erpharo Gilbert of Raynham, and then took off. Gilbert died at the scene.
Gilbert's heartbroken husband says there aren't words good enough to capture her kindness and caring. "She was everything," Jean Marie Coquillon said.
Gilbert was a loving mother to a 5-year-old son. "She was a loving mom, a loving wife, was really devoted to her family," Coquillon said.
Investigators say her car was rear ended by a Toyota Scion. Both cars spun out, then a truck hit Gilbert's disabled car, causing it to burst into flames.
Prosecutors said the Toyota fled after the crash, but a bumper with a license plate was found at the crash scene.
Altamirano turned himself into the Middleboro barracks days later on Thursday. Prosecutors say the Brockton man, who recently arrived from Ecuador, fled the crash out of fear as an undocumented immigrant.
"Thankfully, they got the guy. They got the guy, but it's not going to bring my wife back," Coquillon said.
Consumed by grief, the victim's family is finding some small comfort in her legacy of helping others. She was passionately pursuing a license in social work, to make a difference.
"I'm just going to celebrate her life," Coquillon said. "I'm not going to see the way she died, I'm just going to keep in mind the way she lived."
Considering the defendant allegedly left the scene, hid the car, and as investigators say removed the remaining license plate, the judge granted the prosecution's request he be held on $100,000 cash bail.
