HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Crime Insider sources tell Jon Burkett that a female driver hit and killed Manny Dejesus Sunday, telling police something along the lines of "I thought I hit a deer."
Earlier Tuesday, police announced they found the car and identified the driver involved in the fatal West End crash.
"He was basically murdered, hit by a car and they didn't stop," said Manny’s brother, Mansoor Dejesus
The 24-year-old Dejesus was loved: that’s the message his family wanted his killer to hear.
"How could someone just flee the scene?" Dejesus asked.
Still, that may have been the message Crime Insider sources say a female driver heard loud and clear after watching the news Monday.
Emmanuel "Manny" DeJesus
Sources said she told police that she thought she had hit a deer on Patterson Avenue late Sunday night.
"The fact that she cam the next day to police could suggest that substances like drugs or alcohol were in play or it could be that she truly just thought it was a deer, and to clear it up with police when she saw it on the news," said CBS 6 legal analyst Todd Stone.
Crime Insider sources said a Chevy model pick-up truck is inside a forensics bay at the Henrico County impound lot. They'll scrub the truck for evidence.
Police said Dejesus was walking along Patterson with traffic, heading east towards the city, apparently wearing dark clothing.
The distance between where his shoes were left to where his body was found was about 100 feet.
"Police will try to backtrack and see where she was, and who she may have been in contact with after," said Stone.
Manny Dejesus's family and friends
Family members continue to struggle with why she didn't stop, as they plan a funeral for their lost loved one. "It's human nature,” said Mansoor Dejesus. “I mean, if you think you hit a deer, you get out and check to see what you hit."
Police haven't identified or charged the driver and say they are consulting with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
The Dejesus family said they would like to thank a woman who did stop and render aid until police got on scene.
Manny's family set-up a GoFundMe to help cover costs for the unexpected funeral.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Henrico County Police Department at (804) 501-5000 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.
