A 21-year-old man has been charged in the August hit-and-run death of 37-year-old Gardy Petit-Frere.
Port St. Lucie police say Cesar Pastenes Vallejo was charged on Dec. 7 with failing to remain at a crash involving death and driving with a suspended license.
On Aug. 2, at approximately 11:15 p.m., investigators were called to the intersection of Southwest Airoso Boulevard and Southwest Todd Avenue. They found Petit-Frere on the ground with serious injuries as well as his red Sanmen County Yongfu Machine motorcycle. He was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital and later pronounced dead.
Investigators later located the suspect's car, a black GMC Sierra pickup, at his residence.
Investigators say both Petit-Frere and Vallejo were traveling southbound in the far-right lane of SW Airoso Blvd., with the moped in front of the pickup. As they both approached the intersection of SW Todd Ave., the pickup, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, struck the moped and Petit-Frere landed on the sidewalk. The truck continued southbound.
Family members of Petit-Frere told WPTV in August that he was heading to his overnight shift at Fed-Ex when he was hit.
Records showed Vallejo’s Florida driver's license had been suspended since Sept. 11, 2023.
Investigators used cell phone records and DNA evidence to tie Vallejo to the GMC truck and the crash.
After being granted an arrest warrant on Dec. 7, Vallejo turned himself in to St. Lucie County Jail, and was released the next day on $30,000 bond.
