The alleged driver in a hit-and-run in Liberty City that killed a great-grandmother thought he'd struck a pile of trash, his attorney said.
Rodrick Leon Davis Jr., 33, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death in connection with the Monday morning crash that killed 76-year-old Koritza Ortiz.
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On Thursday, Davis made his first appearance before a Miami-Dade judge, who appointed him a public defender.
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While Judge Mindy Glazer determined there was probable cause, the public defender argued against it.
"I'm asking you to find no probable cause, Mr. Davis indicated he believed that he ended up hitting a pile of trash and did not know that he had hit the alleged victim," the defender said.
"That would be a defense but there's clearly probable cause," the prosecutor responded, adding that they were seeking a $25,000 bond.
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The public defender asked for a lower amount, saying Davis could maybe afford $15,000.
Glazer upheld her probable cause finding and the $25,000 bond, but noted that Davis, who lives in Miami, has no prior criminal record in Miami-Dade.
According to Miami Police, the crash happened at Northwest 7th Avenue and 60th Street shortly after 8 a.m.
An arrest report said surveillance video captured Ortiz crossing the street when Davis, who was driving a GMC Terrain at a high rate of speed, struck her and drove off.
When fire rescue crews arrived at the scene, they pronounced Ortiz dead.
Officials said parts of Davis Jr.'s car were left scattered across the street in the aftermath of the crash. Investigators used the parts and surveillance footage to identify the vehicle, the report said.
A witness later identified Davis Jr. as the driver in a photo lineup, the report said. He was arrested and booked into jail.
Family members said Ortiz had been walking to a grocery store when she was struck and killed.
“We were actually going to go out today. I usually take her grocery shopping once a week, and today was going to be the day, but she wanted to go a little early to get some limes at the nearby supermarket, and that's when the tragedy struck,” son Daniel Garcia Ortiz told NBC6 on Monday. “I just don’t understand how somebody can hit another person and just leave them there.”
Ortiz leaves behind four children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
