The driver suspected in a hit-and-run crash that killed a mother and her two daughters in North Bay Village has been arrested, officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. Marshals Service said 24-year-old Julius Bernstein was taken into custody in Charlotte, North Carolina, for several open warrants in South Florida.
"(The warrants) are not associated with the hit-and-run fatality that occurred in North Bay Village," Miami-Dade Police said in a statement.
However, Bernstein is still the suspected driver of the fiery June 27 crash, investigators said. The U.S. Marshals Service did not provide details of the unrelated charges.
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Cynthia Orsatelliz and her daughters, Sofia and Maria, were killed in the crash that happened in the area of the John F. Kennedy Causeway and Harbor Island Drive.
“(Orsatelliz) was my soulmate. The most amazing person I met in my life," said Sam Saidi, who received the news of Bernstein's arrest Tuesday after many sleepless nights.
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A driver's dash camera captured the crash and showed the victims' car apparently trying to make a turn when another vehicle slammed into them, causing a massive fireball. Other witness video showed firefighters trying to put out the flames from the severely damaged car.
New surveillance footage showed a man, believed to be Bernstein, jumping a fence and running toward apartments after the crash.
A neighbor said Bernstein had shown up at his back door asking for help shortly after the crash.
Bernstein has a lengthy criminal record that includes charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer and reckless driving, records showed.
“I think I would feel more peace and closure once I see this individual getting what he is supposed to be getting for what he caused," Saidi said.
