A woman accused of being the driver in the hit-and-run death of a nightclub valet told an acquaintance that she was aware she hit something but didn’t know what it was until she saw news coverage of Jose Medina’s death, according to a court document.
Two people, including Eliu Montes-Garcia, 28, who is charged as an accessory in the crime, told police that the driver, Norma Paola Vera-Nolasco, 31, refused their advice to turn herself in.
“Norma has stopped taking their calls after making comments that she was going to Mexico,” according to the affidavit filed in Denver District Court.
Phoenix police arrested Vera-Nolasco on Jan. 26, taking her from a US Airways plane that was leaving Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for Mexico. The flight was bound for the runway when the pilot was notified that a fugitive was on board. The plane returned to the gate, where she was arrested.
She is being held in Phoenix and awaiting return to Denver.
Medina, who was a valet parking attendant at the Rockstar Lounge, 940 Lincoln St., was helping a patron when a white GMC extended-cab pickup hit him Jan. 22.
The affidavit illustrates the role that tips have played in the arrests.
On the night of the accident, a cabdriver followed the pickup and noted the license plate information. The vehicle’s registered owner provided information that led to a woman identified as “Brenda Salazar,” the affidavit says. Brenda Salazar is actually Vera-Nolasco, police said.
When a detective contacted her, she told him “that she was in possession of the pickup truck but that she was not going to turn it over to him,” according to the affidavit.
On Jan. 25, someone called Crime Stoppers and told police that the truck was hidden behind a house in Commerce City. Police impounded the truck, which showed evidence of the collision.
Police then tracked down Montes-Garcia, who was planning to help hide the truck, according to the arrest papers. He said he wasn’t driving or in the truck at the time of the collision and that “Brenda Salazar” was behind the wheel.
On the night of the collision, she called him and said that she had hit something on Lincoln Street “because the side mirror was dangling.”
Montes-Garcia told police that she sounded intoxicated that night and added that she also goes by the name Norma. He took a detective to the home where “Salazar” had a room.
One of the residents told the investigator that “Salazar” had said that she left a club Saturday night and ran into something on Lincoln.
“When she saw the news coverage of the collision and the pickup in the videos, she realized it was probably her that had killed the pedestrian,” police said.
Montes-Garcia, charged as an accessory after the fact, had a hearing in Denver District Court on Tuesday. Medina’s mother, who attended with his fiancee, Shannon Burtness, and one of the parking valet’s aunts, shook and sobbed throughout the brief hearing.
Through their lawyer, Gabriel Schwartz, the women declined to comment. He wouldn’t disclose the names of Medina’s mother or aunt.
“The family is going through a tremendous amount of grieving,” Schwartz said. “They wanted to look the defendant, Montes-Garcia, in the eye to make him know he is going to be held responsible for his actions.”
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to misinformation from a source, Shannon Burtness’ name
was misspelled.
