Two arrested in Hanford hit-run

Two people are under arrest for leaving the scene of an accident in which two Hanford residents were hit from behind while riding BMX-style bicycles, police said.

About 10:30 p.m. Monday, a man and a pregnant woman riding the bikes were hit from behind by a fast-moving black Cadillac Escalade, police said.

Raymond Garcia was taken by helicopter to Community Regional Medical Center, and Kristy Navarro was taken to another hospital. Both had been obeying traffic laws, police said.

Wednesday afternoon, Hanford police learned that a 2016 Cadillac Escalade with front end damage was parked in a driveway in Tulare County waiting to be repaired. They towed it to Hanford.

About 6 p.m. Wednesday, the owner of the Escalade, Jenny Ramos, 23, of Lemoore, contacted police and said her cousin, Juan Carlos Ortiz, 24, of Stratford, had been the driver and wanted to turn himself in.

She told police she learned about the hit-run accident shortly after it happened because he called and told her, but didn’t notify authorities for almost two days, police said.

Ortiz admitted he was the driver, apologized for leaving the scene of the accident and said he was scared and did not want to go to jail, police said.

Both were arrested and booked into the Kings County Jail on charges of felony hit and run, accessory to a crime and concealing or destroying evidence.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Two arrested in Hanford hit-run."