Fight at Christmas party leads to deadly hit-and-run, Georgia police say
A man accused in the hit-and-run death of his brother-in-law after the two came to blows during a Christmas party is in jail, Georgia authorities say.
Ernesto Pelayo was arrested Dec. 21, three days after Gwinnett County police said he hit and killed Juan Davila, 41, with his pickup truck and fled.
Pelayo was booked on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
Authorities were alerted to a “fatal pedestrian collision” at 5:15 a.m. on Dec. 18 in a Lawrenceville subdivision, police said in a news release. They arrived to find a man with “significant injuries” laying in the street, and witnesses said the truck that hit him sped off.
Investigators learned that the suspect and the victim attended a Christmas party the previous night. The two got into an argument, which escalated into a physical fight that spilled into the backyard.
That’s when police said the suspect got in his pickup truck and struck the victim, who had moved into the roadway.
The victim, later identified as Davila, was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries, police said.
Authorities continue to investigate what sparked the fight.
Pelayo remained in jail without bond as of Dec. 27, online records show.
Lawrenceville is about 32 miles northeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Fight at Christmas party leads to deadly hit-and-run, Georgia police say."