EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Police documents show that witnesses recognized the suspect in a deadly hit-and-run in Far East El Paso after the crash was posted on social media, telling investigators that the suspect appeared to be drunk.
Abraham Sosa Castro, 21, from Fabens, was arrested on Tuesday after investigators identified him as the suspect in a hit-and-run crash that happened on June 18 at around 11:30 p.m. on Loop 375 near Pellicano Drive, which killed Manuel Oliva Contreras, 76.
On Wednesday, he was booked into jail and charged with “collision involving death,” a little over two weeks after the crash.
Mugshot of Abraham Sosa Castro. Credit: EPPD
New documents from the El Paso Police Department spell out the investigation into the crash, showing that witnesses told investigators Castro appeared to be drunk and that a lot of his personal information was shared after the crash went viral on social media.
RELATED: Fabens man arrested in connection with deadly hit-and-run on Loop 375 in Far East El Paso
According to the documents, on the night of the crash, witnesses told responding officers that Castro allegedly climbed out of his car, a 2023 Cadillac CT4, after it had rolled over following the crash.
The witnesses described Castro as appearing and smelling like he was drunk.
Furthermore, they said that Castro seemed to try to push the rolled-over car to get his cellphone and a cooler from inside the car, reportedly telling witnesses,
Help me get my beer.
Deadly hit-and-run crash on Loop 375 near Pellicano Dr. in Far East El Paso. June 18, 2026. Credit: FitFam
The documents detail that investigators spoke with other witnesses who gave Castro a ride, not knowing that he had just been involved in an alleged hit-and-run.
These witnesses told police that Castro reportedly approached them at the Circle K located at 121909 Montwood Dr., at around 2:30 a.m., which Google Maps shows is just over two miles north of where the crash happened.
The witnesses said Castro told them that he was lost and needed a ride.
One of the witnesses said they gave Castro a ride to Tequila Discoteque, located at 810 Pendale Rd., in the Lower Valley, to look for his friends.
The witnesses said they took Castro there, but he didn’t find anyone.
Afterwards, since it was already late, the witness told Castro that they couldn’t drive him to Fabens, so they took Castro to their home.
The witness then told investigators that when they got home and charged their phone, they noticed that they had messages from friends who had seen Castro at the gas station earlier and had now recognized him after pictures of Castro at the site of the crash had been shared on the popular social media account @therealfitfamelpaso.
The witnesses said they then confronted Castro regarding the post and the crash and said that Castro allegedly ran away, trying now to get a ride from a neighbor who was heading out of their home to go to work.
Witness said they last saw Castro heading out into the desert.
In the police documents, investigators also described how witnesses shared with them Castro’s identity, Facebook profile, and even date of birth after that FitFam post had gone viral.
On June 20, just a little over 24 hours after the crash, EPPD put out a call for the public to submit information about the crash or the driver.
RELATED: Police seek driver in fatal Loop 375 hit-and-run
The victim, Manuel Oliva Contreras, died at The Hospitals of Providence at around 3:37 a.m. on June 19, just a couple of hours after the crash and after authorities had reported his injuries as “non-life-threatening.”
Jail records show that as of Thursday afternoon, Castro remains locked up at the El Paso County Downtown jail under a $500,000 bond.
Deadly hit-and-run crash on Loop 375 near Pellicano Dr. in Far East El Paso. June 18, 2026. Credit: FitFam
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