Police investigate hit-and-run as homicide

A man arrested in a fatal hit-and-run is facing a murder charge, police said Friday.

Ethan Chavez, 20, was arrested in November after police said he falsely reported his 2016 Ford Fusion stolen following a Nov. 23 hit-and-run crash that killed Armani Williams, 23, according to an arrest report released at the time by the Metropolitan Police Department.

Police later interviewed Chavez, and he changed his story to say that his phone was stolen with the car, according to the arrest report. When officers pointed out that he called police using his phone, police said, Chavez confessed to lying in his previous statements and admitted that his car wasn’t stolen.

Chavez was charged with duty to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in death and released on $25,000, according to court records. Metro said Friday they suspect Chavez intentionally hit Williams, and he was arrested again Wednesday and booked on a murder charge.

Anyone with information on the crash may call Metro at 702-828-3521.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.