High Point man arrested in deadly hit-and-run that killed child
A $1 million bond stayed in place after High Point police tied Jeremiah J. Benton to the hit-and-run that killed 5-year-old Luis Arriaza near E. Russell Avenue and Hines Street.
High Point police arrested Jeremiah J. Benton, 25, after a hit-and-run crash that killed 5-year-old Luis Arriaza near E. Russell Avenue and Hines Street. The case has moved quickly from a desperate search for the driver and vehicle to a felony prosecution that now centers on accountability, flight risk and how a child died in a residential corridor that families use every day.
Officers responded around 5 p.m. on June 5 to a report of a person lying in the road. When police, fire crews and EMS arrived, they found Arriaza had been struck by a vehicle. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died. High Point police first asked the public for help identifying the driver and vehicle that same day, then said by June 8 that investigators had narrowed the suspect car to a gray Ford Focus, believed to be a 2015-2018 model. The city later said its Traffic Unit had shared a photo of the car involved.
By June 10, police said Benton had been charged with felony hit-and-run causing serious injury or death. He was being held on a $1 million bond. In a June 11 bond hearing, the judge kept that bond in place, citing the seriousness of the case, concerns that Benton could flee and his pending criminal charges in another county. Court notes discussed in the hearing said investigators had video evidence, identified Benton’s vehicle and obtained a confession. Those notes said Benton admitted he fled because he was scared and knew he had struck a child.
Luis Arriaza’s mother, Angela Arriaza, said her son was a happy, social child who loved Legos, Baby Yoda, Snoopy and capybaras. She said she moved her family from Honduras to High Point about three years ago. Luis had two brothers, ages 9 and 3, and the family started a GoFundMe to help pay funeral expenses. In court, Angela Arriaza forgave Benton, but said it hurt that he did not stop to help.
The case now raises a larger question for High Point: how a deadly hit-and-run unfolded in the first place, and what changes will follow. Police continue to direct anyone with information to the High Point Police Traffic Unit at 336-883-3224 or Crimestoppers of High Point at 336-889-4000 as the criminal case moves ahead.
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