BOSTON, December 12, 2016— More than six months after the hit-and-run death of Marco Salguero-Cruz in Chelsea, the driver who allegedly struck and killed the 25-year-old victim and then fled the country was ordered held on high bail, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSE DANIEL AREVALO (D.O.B. 8/20/82) of Everett was arraigned in Chelsea District Court today on charges of motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. Judge Ina Howard-Hogan ordered Arevalo held on $150,000 bail and ordered that he wear a GPS monitor, submit to home confinement, and surrender his passport in the event he is released on bail.  Assistant District Attorney Michael V. Glennon had requested bail of $250,000.

According to prosecutors, Arevalo was behind the wheel of a silver Toyota Camry at approximately 10:15 p.m. on June 4, when he struck pedestrian Salguero-Cruz in the area of 284 Washington Street in Chelsea. Salguero-Cruz was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Chelsea Police detectives and State Police detectives assigned to Conley’s office recovered footage from multiple cameras that captured the vehicle involved in the crash both before and after the crash occurred.  With the assistance of Conley’s Forensic Multimedia Lab and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Digital Evidence Lab, investigators were able to recover, isolate, and enhance previously-deleted footage from a private security camera that depicted the driver allegedly involved in the fatal collision.

Those enhanced images were released to the media on Nov. 21; as a result, a person familiar with Arevalo saw the pictures on Univision and contacted police on Nov. 22.  On that same date, investigators were able to independently identify Arevalo through witness statements, social media, and Registry of Motor Vehicle records, prosecutors said.

“For months, Mr. Salguero-Cruz’ family was left to wait and wonder whether anyone would ever answer for his death,” Conley said. “Thanks to Chelsea police, State troopers, digital evidence technicians, and members of the public, they now have an answer. We are truly grateful to everyone who shared, re-tweeted, broadcast, and published the images that led to this identification and arrest.”

Arevalo is believed to have fled to El Salvador two days after the crash but returned to the United States last month.  He was located in Texas and apprehended with the assistance of Texas Rangers on Dec. 2.  He was returned to Massachusetts on Saturday.

Arevalo was represented by Scott Gediman.  He returns to court Jan. 5.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.