BOSTON — A 21-year-old Boston man is facing a murder charge after police say he intentionally struck and killed a scooter rider before fleeing the scene Saturday afternoon.
Jhonny Ruiz Soto, 21, of the city’s Dorchester neighborhood, is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of personal injury or death, according to the Boston Police Department.
Officers responding to reports of a pedestrian struck near Blue Hill Avenue and Castlegate Road in the Dorchester neighborhood just before 2:30 p.m. found the victim lying in the intersection, police said.
The victim, whose name hasn’t been released, was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Evidence gathered at the scene indicated the driver, later identified as Soto, allegedly intentionally accelerated and struck the victim, who was operating a scooter, before fleeing north on Blue Hill Avenue toward Seaver Street.
Police also said the victim’s scooter was removed from the scene by an unidentified person and has not yet been recovered.
Later Saturday, officers located both Soto and his vehicle in the area of Blue Hill Avenue and American Legion Highway. Soto was taken into custody without incident.
The Boston Police Department’s Homicide Unit is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Anyone with information is asked to contact homicide detectives at 617-343-4470.
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