GLENDALE, Ariz. — Glendale Police have made an arrest after a teen boy was hit and seriously injured while riding his bike.
A 13-year-old was out riding a bike with friends when an SUV allegedly drove by and hit the victim before leaving the scene. Glendale police held a press conference on Friday asking for the community's assistance in identifying the vehicle and the driver.
Joshua Holbert, 27, saw the press conference police held on Friday and saw there was a police presence outside his apartment complex, so he "decided to turn himself in" on Saturday, police said.
According to court documents, the victim suffered a skull fracture among other injuries, and is in the hospital in life-threatening condition.
The group of teens were crossing the street on bikes at the intersection of 47th and Northern avenues on Thursday night when the hit-and-run occurred.
Witnesses at the scene said they saw an SUV with an American flag hit the teen and traffic cameras captured the SUV with an American flag driving west at the time of the crash, according to court documents.
People living along Northern Avenue said they ran outside after hearing the crash, but the driver was already long gone.
“People were still speeding around him. Nobody was stopping,” a neighbor told 12News.
One bystander driving by did stop and administered CPR, court documents show. The teen was then airlifted to a hospital.
The driver of the SUV continued driving, not stopping to render aid.
Police found the truck at an apartment complex and were able to see the American flag in the backseat, taken off the car "to possibly conceal its identity," court documents state. When officers attempted to serve a search warrant, they were able to see the damage to the front of the car. The SUV was then towed as evidence.
Officers "breached" the apartment of the person who owned the SUV and found it empty. On Saturday, Holbert called the dispatch to tell police he wanted to turn himself in, police said.
In an interview with police, Holbert told police he was driving the SUV that hit the teen, no one else was with him in the vehicle and he did leave the scene of the crash. He did not provide aid and he drove back to his apartment, court records state.
Neighbors said it is common to hear and see accidents right outside their homes.
“Out here on the main road, it’s scary,” one neighbor told 12News.
Neighbors said they hope drivers slow down and pay attention.
“It’s not just kids. It’s families, people walking their dogs, people just need to be careful,” another neighbor told 12News.
Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.
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