Man arrested for hitting pregnant woman with car
Aug 26, 2013, 4:18 PM | Updated: 4:19 pm
PHOENIX — Police arrested a man Monday who is suspected of hitting a pregnant woman with a car over the weekend.
Guadalupe Castaneda allegedly stole a car in the area of 16th Street and Camelback. He sideswiped the driver, who was attempting to stop him and sped away through the parking lot.
He then hit 17-year-old Nahomy Leyva-Valencia and a friend. Leyva-Valencia, who is four months pregnant, sustained broken legs, broken arms and broken ribs. Her unborn child is in critical condition. Leyva-Valencia’s friend, Karina Pinon, may have broken her arm.
After hitting the two women, Castaneda hit a car with two more women inside. One sustained slight injuries.
Castaneda then fled the parking lot and was pursued by two police cars.
“The suspect left the bar parking lot in that car followed by police, who would enter a pursuit with him for a short distance, the backed off and let an aircraft follow him,” said Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump.
After being arrested, Castaneda told police he had consumed about 30 beers and knew he was driving on a suspended license. He also claimed to have not hit anything except a trashcan as he was fleeing.
Castaneda was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of endangerment, unlawful control of a means of transportation, failure to remain at the scene of a hit-and-run that caused injury, unlawful flight and aggravated DUI.
