A man accused of driving with a suspended license when he allegedly struck and killed a cyclist and fled the scene made his first appearance before a judge on Friday.
Leonel Lejandro Laferte, 21, was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and driving with a suspended license in the crash early Thursday that killed 37-year-old Kenneth Wimbley Jr.
During Laferte’s court appearance Friday, a prosecutor asked that his bond be set at $50,000 with house arrest, while his defense attorney asked for a standard $15,000 bond, noting that he’s lived in South Florida for his entire life.
“Made my whole life here, had a horrible day today,” Laferte said.
“Sir, you were driving at 4 o’clock in the morning without a license, ended up killing somebody, didn’t render aid, that’s the allegations, they’re very serious allegations,” Judge David H. Young responded.
Young said he was going to raise the bond to $100,000, but said the $50,000 was reasonable. Laferte wept as Young set the bond and ordered him on level 2 house arrest, meaning he’ll be allowed to go to work.
The crash happened at the intersection of Southeast 4th Avenue and East Okeechobee Road.
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Kenneth Wimbley Jr.
Family members said Wimbley was going to work when he was struck and killed.
The driver fled the scene but later Thursday, Laferte arrived at the Hialeah Police Department asking to speak with traffic homicide detectives and telling them he’d been involved in a traffic crash earlier in the morning and failed to stop, police said.
He was arrested and booked into jail.