Suspect arrested in hit-and-run that left elderly woman in critical condition
Staff report
Updated on May 13 with criminal history.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dominic Antonio Joel Roa, 31, was arrested yesterday and charged with leaving a crash involving serious injury and driving without a valid license after allegedly hitting a 70-year-old woman who was crossing SW 34th Street.
At about 1:52 p.m. on May 8, Roa was reportedly driving northbound in the 3900 block of SW 34th Street, and the victim was crossing the roadway; she was north of the intersection and was not in a crosswalk. The victim had crossed two lanes and was approaching the left lane when Roa allegedly hit her with the left front corner of his car. The victim was thrown about 40 feet and landed in the southbound turn lane.
Roa reportedly drove north and pulled into the parking lot of a credit union, where a witness who saw part of the crash also pulled in. The witness said Roa ran to her, saying the victim ran out in front of him, and then stayed in the parking for a short time before driving away.
The witness described the suspect as a white male with pale skin and a blonde ponytail, and the vehicle was described as a small silver, four-door hatchback.
Surveillance video from the credit union confirmed the witness’s description of the car, and Gainesville Police Department officers identified Roa as a suspect after searching the records of similar vehicles in the area.
Officers made contact with Roa at his residence, and they reported that Roa immediately knew why they were there and admitted that he had hit the victim.
Post Miranda, Roa reportedly said the victim had stopped in the road before running in front of his car, causing him to hit her. He said he left the scene because he was scared and his driver’s license was suspended.
The arresting officer reported that Roa has an ID card because his license has been suspended eight times.
The silver hatchback was reportedly found in Roa’s apartment complex, and it had damage consistent with hitting a pedestrian.
The arresting officer noted that Roa drove his vehicle in a careless manner when he hit the victim because he admitted that he had seen her, the crash occurred during daylight hours, and the victim had crossed two lanes of traffic and was visible to two witnesses who were driving ahead of Roa. The officer noted that Roa “failed to use due care to avoid the victim he saw crossing before him.”
The victim sustained serious internal injuries and a head injury and was still unconscious several hours after the crash. Her injuries are reportedly life-threatening.
Roa has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious personal injury and driving without a valid license causing serious injury. He has four felony convictions (non-violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he was arrested in Gainesville in January for domestic battery, but that case is no longer available in the court system. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $150,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
Another total loser. Welcome to Gville….home of the city wide subsidized homeless, unemployed, mentally ill, criminals, and bums.
You are correct, Lou
Curious if the Flock Cameras were used to supplement the credit union security cameras to identify the suspect and car?
…the city recently ok’d flock cameras at Waldo road & 39th Ave, and 23rd & Waldo on the east side near that Walmart..
If you can see the drone or the street camera, then it can see you.👁️❗️
They should have the settings set to : bums/panhandlers/vagrants/litterbugs/drugs/crime
and send civil citations.
If the behavior doesn’t stop, then some jail time. Incarceration works!
The eye 👁️ in the sky is watching you!
There are bums panhandling on the 1 ft median at Waldo & 39th every single day. Can’t even count the number of times I have seen police cars sitting right next to the bum waiting for the light, yet they drive away and do nothing.
I even saw a cop pull someone over for running a red light at that same intersection after ignoring the homeless bum aggressively panhandling and standing next to his patrol car.
It’s illegal to panhandle on a median less than 6ft wide, and it’s illegal for people in cars to give anything to the bums from inside their vehicle. So why is nothing done? Why do we live in a Bolshevik-tier justice system where laws only apply to people who aren’t drug addicts?
Glad they caught the guy and I hope she is able to recover from the traumatic injuries.
Several things come to light: he was driving without a valid license, license has been suspended eight times, and while not an excuse for him — she was jaywalking. Like that doesn’t happen all over Gainesville.
Another multiple suspension driver. Criminal misdemeanor traffic charges need to be changed to felonies. He knows
he can not operate a vehicle yet hit intentionally drives and hits a pehestrian. Abd then leaves witjout a care in the world if the victim is dead or alive. Kinda like attempted murder.
WTF did he come here from other counties? Where does he work at, who’d hire him over a student? We need to know all the idiots involved.
His only mitigating factor is the lady wasn’t in a crosswalk. Two brain cells meeting in the wrong place at the wrong time 🙄
At what point does driving with a suspended license become incarceration? 8 times seems enough.
A 70 year old RAN out in front of him? I highly doubt she was running at that age. More than likely that he was on his phone and didn’t look up in time.