Driver accused of killing 5-year-old boy was too ‘scared’ to stop, NC police say

A 25-year-old Winston-Salem man is accused of being the “hit-and-run” driver who left a 5-year-old to die in the road, according to investigators in North Carolina.

Jeremiah J. Benton was arrested Wednesday morning at his home and charged with felony hit-and-run causing serious injury or death, and failure to comply with a restricted license, officials said. He is in the Guilford County jail in High Point, with bond set at $1 million, the High Point Police Department said in a June 10 news release.

Court documents report Benton told investigators he has a previous larceny conviction, and did not stop “because he was scared and he knew that he had hit the child.”

First responders found the 5-year-old lying near the intersection of E. Russell Avenue and Hines Street in High Point around 5 p.m. on June 5, police say. The boy died after being taken to a hospital, officials said.

The child has been identified as Luis Arriaza by WFMY, which reports he was in the care of a babysitter at the time of the crash. His mother, Angela Arriaza, has set up a GoFundMe campaign, noting: “I do not have the financial resources to hold a funeral for him.”

Benton’s secondary charge of failing to comply with license restrictions is due a requirement that he operate a vehicle only when accompanied by “a supervising licensed driver,” officials said.

Investigators have not said what led to Benton being named a suspect, but his arrest came not long after investigators released a photo of the suspect vehicle.

“It’s because of skill, teamwork and determination that a heartbroken family now has some answers,” High Point Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III said in the news release.

High Point is about a 75-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.