Arrest made 2 months after Tri-Cities woman was left for dead on a Kennewick street

Police have arrested the man they suspect was behind the wheel of a car that hit a woman crossing Clearwater Avenue two months ago.

Aaron J. Hill, 27, allegedly ran away with two others from the Ford Focus on Feb. 6.

But, along the way, he left behind a pill bottle with “Aaron J” on the label, his Paypal and AARP cards and a registration for a different car with his name on it, according to court records.

Kennewick police with help from the U.S. Marshals tracked down Hill on Wednesday and booked him into the Benton County jail. He is being held on a $500,000 bail and is facing charges of hit-and-run fatality.

At the time he was arrest, he was wanted in five other cases including three for driving without a license and one for DUI.

While the Kennewick owner reported that the car had been missing since earlier in the morning, police believe the owner’s brother let Hill use the car in exchange for pills.

Hill allegedly told a witness he had been behind the wheel as they approached the 5000 block of Clearwater Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to court records.

Hill said a “chick and her boyfriend” were jaywalking, and wearing dark clothing, and he hadn’t seen them.

The Focus hit Perez, 28, as she was in the road, leaving her with multiple broken bones, a lacerated liver and spleen and severe head trauma.

She was still alive when police and firefighters arrived, and was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She survived for 19 days in a coma, before dying with her family by her side, Kennewick police said in a release.

“I feel so angry, devastated and all these emotions,” her sister, Xenia Perez, wrote on the GoFundMe campaign as part of the final update, days before her death. “I don’t even know what to say. ... These will be the last moments we will have with her. We will take any time we have.”

Tracking the suspects

After driving away, the suspects stopped on Clearwater, and Hill and the two passengers got out of the car, according to court records.

Police tried tracking them with a police dog and, while they weren’t able to find the people, they did discover a messenger bag left behind.

Inside was a pill bottle with a ripped label with “Aaron J” written on it. In the car, they found several items including a Hill’s Paypal Card and AARP card as well as IDs and cards belonging to other people.

Hill and a woman who was in the car were picked up and brought to a friend’s home, where the woman said they had just hit someone.

Police also discovered the brother of the car’s owner sometimes used the car and offered to let Hill use the car for “smoke n cash.”

Hill sent a message to the owner’s brother 10 minutes after the crash that the car had been stolen.

Hill later told the owner’s brother that, “You never sold me that car okay,” and “I’ll pay you.” Then they agreed to delete the conversation.

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 11:48 AM.