SAN ANTONIO – A Crime Stoppers tip helped San Antonio police identify a man accused of fleeing the scene after fatally striking a motorcyclist in July.
Michael Tello, was arrested Friday on suspicion of failure to stop and render aid. Bexar County Jail records also show Tello is charged with burglary of a building in an unrelated case.
On July 1, police were called to the eastbound access road of Highway 151 near West Military Highway around 6 a.m. to respond to the crash.
FIRST REPORT: Motorcyclist killed in hit-and-run on far West Side identified
Motorcyclist Lawrence New, 55, was turning onto the access road when he was struck by a van, police said. The van's driver disregarded the red light when he struck New, the evidence showed.
Police collected numerous vehicle parts that helped them determine the driver was in a 1990s model Ford van but it was a Crime Stoppers tip that helped them crack the case, according to Tello's arrest affidavit.
The tip, received by investigators Aug. 11, identified Tello as the driver. The tipster also provided Tello's photo and vehicle information, according to the affidavit.
When police executed a search warrant on the vehicle, they discovered that the van was recently fixed. Investigators tracked down the body shop that did the repairs and obtained vehicle parts from Tello's van that were consistent with the damage found at the scene.
Cellphone data also linked Tello to the crash scene, according to the affidavit.
Tello's bail was set at $23,000, jail records show.